Pilkey, Dav. Dog Man. illus. by Dav Pilkey. 240p. (Dog Man: Bk. 1). Scholastic/Graphix. Sept. 2016. Tr $9.99. ISBN 9780545581608. POP 

Gr 1-4 –Part canine, part human, Dog Man is a crime-fighting sensation. He fights crime, sniffs out wrongdoing, and battles his doglike tendencies. His nemesis is Petey, a cat who cooks up devilish plans in his secret lab. The pages are filled with bold lines and colorful artwork that has a childlike feel and will delight readers. In an author’s note, Pilkey explains that Dog Man is based on a character he created back in second grade, when he longed for silly books, and states that he hopes his title will help children associate reading with fun and even inspire some to craft their own stories. The text contains intentional grammatical errors, so readers should be prepared for misspellings. Panels that feature instructions on how to draw will motivate budding artists. VERDICT A riotously funny and original addition for all elementary school collections.–Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC