When a baby accidentally drinks a super-power potion, he becomes the world’s youngest hero tasked with stopping a villain made of poop.
Dav Pilkey, the creator of the Captain Underpants universe, brings us a full-color graphic novel about a diaper-wearing superhero. In this first entry, a baby named Billy transforms into Super Diaper Baby after falling into and drinking a strange liquid. Along with his trusty sidekick, Diaper Dog, he has to stop the villainous Deputy Dangerous from taking over the world. The story is presented as a “homemade” comic created by George and Harold, characters well-known to fans of Pilkey’s other work. There are currently two main books in this specific series for students to explore.
This series is a fantastic pick for students who find long pages of text intimidating or are still learning English. Because it is a graphic novel, the illustrations do most of the work to explain the plot and the characters’ emotions. The sentences are short and follow simple patterns, while onomatapoeia helps keep the energy high without adding many difficult words. Using the same characters and a predictable art style helps students feel like they already know the rules of the book’s world when they move to the next story. In a classroom, you can use Pilkey’s own history with ADHD and dyslexia to show students that their unique way of thinking is a strength. It also works well as a starting point for kids to try drawing their own hero stories to build their confidence in writing.
Total Books in Series: 2 Best Starting Point: The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby
