I partnered with Scholastic to share this Captain Underpants giveaway
Yes, you read that correctly. I know you probably dislike Captain Underpants for the potty humor and misspellings that fill the pages of the graphic novel but if your child is clamoring to see Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (in theaters on June 2), here’s why kids should be allowed to read Captain Underpants before you head to the theater.
7 Reasons Why Kids Should be Allowed to Read Captain Underpants
Kids Love Captain Underpants
Captain Underpants books are polarizing among parents because we think it sets a bad example and teachers cringe because the book has underpants in the title but kids love this series by Dav Pilkey. There is no shortage of potty humor and misspellings on the pages of the graphic novel but in a child’s mind, that’s what makes it fun. And it’s also kind of fun to think about hypnotizing your principal into thinking he’s an underwear wearing tra-la-laaa singing superhero!
Kids are naturally drawn to Captain Underpants because it’s funny, easy to read, and has a clear good guy and plenty of bad guys that leave you rooting for good to triumph over evil.
Instead of getting your underpants in a wad, seize upon the book’s teachable moments by:
- Expanding your child’s vocabulary by teaching them the difference between a protagonist (Captain Underpants) and antagonist
- Correctly spelling the words George and Harold misspell in their comic
- Practicing their writing skills by making their own comic
- Exercising their creativity by drawing their own Flip-O-Rama
It’s Better for Them to Read Something They Love Rather Than Nothing at All
My mother, a former classroom teacher who retired with 30+ years of experience, used to tell me and my brother that she didn’t care what we read, as long as we were reading. I remember pouring over the Sunday comics, reading the Wall Street Journal upside down at our breakfast table as my dad studied it every morning, devouring Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes comic books, and then retreating to my room to read series like The Chronicles of Narnia. She loved that I was inspired to read anything and everything and didn’t care what I was reading for pleasure because she knew that any time spent with a book or magazine would be positive.
Kids should be allowed to read what they want for pleasure. It’s one of the best ways for them to stay motivated to read and develop a lifelong love of reading. Chances are if you let them read Captain Underpants over the summer, it will be far easier to get them to read than if you choose the book for them.
And as author, Dav Pilkey says, reading gives you superpowers!
Flip-O-Ramas
Who doesn’t love a good Flip-O-Rama? This low-tech way of creating animations by flipping a page is pure fun and are a staple of all of Dav Pilkey’s books.
Even at ages 10 and 13, my kids still get a kick out of them! Take a look at this video Emily did 6 years ago explaining Flip-O-Ramas for a video review one of Dav Pilkey’s other books!
Thomas and Emily did this review of Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers and as you can see, they still love Flip-O-Ramas!
Let Your Kids Read Captain Underpants in Full Color
My kids will tell you that back in the day, their Captain Underpants books only came in black and white! They love having The Adventures of Captain Underpants: Now in Full Color (click here for a preview!) as part of our family library.
Companion Books Serve as a Fun Way to Practice Reading and Writing Skills
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie Official Handbook and Wacky Word Wedgies and Flushable Fill-Ins are companion books to the movie that are in stores now. The pair is under $10 if you order them on Amazon, making them a great price and perfect for practicing reading and writing skills over the summer in the most fun way. Wacky Word Wedgies and Flushable Fill-Ins is a Mad-Libs type book that requires kids to use what they know about parts of speech to create hilarious stories.
It’s hard not to be motivated to read Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie Official Handbook, the perfect post-movie book!
Reading Captain Underpants Will Lead to Seeing the Movie and Reading More Books
If you let your child read a Captain Underpants book, chances are they will want to see the movie and once they see the movie, they’ll want to read more Captain Underpants. And that’s not a bad thing! With 11 books featuring the tighty whitey wearing red caped superhero, Captain Underpants can keep your kids reading all summer long!
Take a look at this video review my kids did of Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot two years ago!
It’s Always Better to Read the Book Before Seeing the Movie
Action! Thrills! Laffs! A Captain Underpants Giveaway!
To celebrate the release of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie on June 2, I’ve partnered with Scholastic on a giveaway for a Captain Underpants prize pack! One winner will receive a prize pack containing:
- The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Book 1, now in full color!)
- Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie Official Handbook
- Captain Underpants: Wacky Word Wedgies and Flushable Fill-Ins
- Plus a $50 Visa gift card for your own epic adventure!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For more information about Captain Underpants:
- Visit PilkeyPower.Scholastic.com
- Follow Scholastic on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Please note this giveaway is open to US addresses only. Prizing and samples provided by Scholastic. I received products to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and Amazon affiliate links are included in this post.
My daughter likes the illustrations. I like for her to read anything that grabs her interest.
I’m ok with my son reading the books. He likes comic style books, so he would enjoy these
I daughter loves the books because she finds them so fun to read and keeps her interested!
I totally agree with your blog. One of the main strategies for getting boys to read is to allow them to read books that they love. Therefore, if they love Captain Underpants, why not let them read about him.
http://motherhood-chaoticallybeautiful.com/confessions-of-a-working-mom-part-1-of-2-the-weekend-mom/
Our favorite character is Crackers!
My son enjoys the adventures he goes on and the books make him laugh! I’m glad he’s enjoying what he is reading. I think that is really important.
Just read 🙂
My Granddaughter is just finishing her first book. She loves it.
My kids are grown but they would have enjoyed the books. The title of the books or main character’s name was startling at first, but I got used to it 🙂
My grandsons like Captain Underpants because of the fun illustrations and humor. I like anything that gets my grandsons interested in reading!
I think the Captain is her favorite character.
Melvin Sneedly is our favorite character!
My son loves Captain Underpants books because they are good fun and I love it makes him want to read more.
My son and my nephew both enjoy reading Captain Underpants, because it’s adventurous and fun as well. I feel it’s great, I’m all about fun reading!
My nephew enjoys reading these books because he finds them funny. Any mention of “underpants” and he is all in 🙂
My nephew’s favorite character is George Beard.
My son likes that the books are funny and I like that he wants to read!
The kids like these books and I think they are old enough to read them now.
The kid’s favorite character is the Captain in these books.
My son loves Captain Underpants. Captain is his favorite character
My son likes the stories and I think its good if he reads the books.
My child loves that the books are full of humor and colorful pictures. The lively stories really get his attention, and I like to read them with him.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
My kids love Captain Underpants because they like adventure stories. I am glad they enjoy reading.
My nephew loves these books and is off to a great start in reading already. He would just love to add these to his collection. He loves them because there are great story lines that he can relate too.
My kids like Harold Hutchins.
My nephew loves these books, as long as it’s not violent like comic books I’m cool with him reading them.
Crackers is my nephew’s favorite character.
My nephew likes to read these books because he thinks they’re funny. I think it’s great that he likes to read. I try to encourage/promote reading by taking him to the library or buying him books.
The grand kidws love Captain Underpants because they think the books are so funny!
These are great books for kids to read.
thank you
The grand kids favorite character is Crackers.
We all like Melvin Sneedly
My child enjoys the books because they are entertaining and funny. I’m just glad he’s reading outside of school reading assignments.
Oh he really loves the humor in the books! They keep his attention and he always laughs reading them. I love that he doest want to stop reading! Thats a good thing!
My son likes Captain Underpants because he says its fun to read. I have no problem with him reading this series, if he finds it interesting and the book is age appropiate then I’m ok with it. Thanks for the chance to win
My nephew loves the character of captain underpants, he is relatable and funny.
My two younger kids really enjoy this series and I am a fan of anything that encourages kids to read.
My kids like the character named Crackers.
As a teacher, I have to tell you that my students and my son LOVE this series of books because they find them funny and they can relate to so many of the ideas in the book.
Who does my child love the most. I would have to say Captain Underpants! He loves the funny way he dresses and the crazy adventures he embarks on.
I think they love these books because they make them laugh and they can relate to the family! I am glad they read these books since I love anything that makes them want to turn off their devices and read!
He likes the Captain Underpants series. I like books that encourage my child to read.
It’s just such a hilarious character and laughter is the best. Books RULE in this house!! True, honest, paper books.
When my kids first heard about Captain Underpants they wanted the books. Always a good thing when they want to read.
my child has never read them but i think shed like them
Shed love Caption Underpants!
My cousin loves the series because it is funny! I like her reading it because it is appropriate for kids.
I don’t know if my kids have ever read the series but it looks like it will be funny.
My niece had no problem with me giving these books to her son. He really enjoys them. Can’t wait to take him to the movie!
i think its fine and my kids love anything that has to do with undewear 🙂 lol
My son likes these books because they are funny. I think it is fine since they help him with his reading.
My son read one of these books and I think he liked it because it was funny and had adventure. I like when my kids get interested in series that encourages them to read.
Oh I think our favorite is the Captain! He always makes us laugh!
These would be for my nephew, and I know his mom would be ok with him reading the books
I don’t know who his favorite character is
The books are ok. I am just glad my son likes to read.
My granddaughter loves these books and I am okay with her reading these books.
My son likes these books — I don’t see a problem with it at all.
Growing up, my son loved reading comic style books. These books really had him interested to wanting to read. I never had a problem with them.
My son loves the jokes and I am just happy he is holding a book reading instead of watching television.
My son loves Captain Underpants.
My little has always loved Captain Underpants. I have been a huge fan too. I love that they are lighthearted and funny!
I’ve never had an issue with my children reading this series. There shouldn’t be any restrictions on what they can read and I think they’re funny too.
My boys both love Captain Underpants. They read them because they’re funny. They like the comic book layout. I love that they keep them reading during the summer.
They love the books and I have no problem with them reading the books!
My daughter loves Captain Underpants mainly I think because of the pictures right now. She hasn’t learned how to read yet but she flips through books and pretends she’s reading them because she has them memorized!
I don’t mind them reading the books. They like them.
My son has read them. I don’t mind.
My son loves the series. I think the books are great because they hold his attention and he loves reading them.
I think children should have the freedom to read what interests them.
This book is a classic! Why shouldn’t we encourage reading.
My daughter isn’t yet old enough to read the book, but she loves it when I read to her. She will probably enjoy the fact that he wears underpants.
my boys havent tried them but i think they would like it
Melvin Sneedly
my son likes the adventure when reading these books i think its ok
My daughter has read some of the books and loves them! She loved the movie as well.
I think this is a great series. The movie looks funny!
He willingly reads them, and has bought them at the book fair. Any book that interests him is a plus
My nephew reads them and I think it’s fine…they encourage his love of reading and his imagination.
He likes Harold.
I think the movie looks cute 🙂 I think my son would enjoy the books 🙂
My 8 year old has read the two first colour books. (I don’t think the whole series is available in colour yet though). I’m not sure I would agree that parents should let their kids read ANYTHING. I would suggest that parents read books with their kids or preview them first. I think this book series is pretty fun, I just remind my son that potty humour shouldn’t become a REGULAR part of their vocabulary. Yes, I said “regular”. 🙂 The movie was fantastic.
One of my daughters just finds the books hilarious and have no problems with my preteen reading the books
I think these are great books and the kids love them, every child should read these books!
Our favorite Captain Underpants character is Crackers.
My daughter loves to read captain underpants. It is a fun series to read!
My son likes that the books because they are funny. I like that he enjoys reading.
My kids favorite character is Crackers.
My kids love captain underpants because he’s funny. As long as they’re reading I’m totally ok with them reading captain underpants
Great series!
My son likes George the best!
My kids love these books! I like them reading them because they are age appropriate books.
my daughter likes the books because they are funny, i havent read them but think they seem good
My son’s favorite character was Captain Underpants.
We have not read these books yet but he has seen the movie previews and wants to read the books.