Captain Underpants

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Image:Captainunderpantscover.jpg The Captain Underpants series, by Dav Pilkey, is a series of American children's books about two 4^th graders, George and Harold, and their mean old principal Mr. Krupp.

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Overview

In their spare time, George and Harold write comic books about a superhero they made up which they called Captain Underpants, hence the title of the book. This character is named after his clothing habit of wearing only a red cape with black polka-dots and a pair of white briefs. Their cartoon character is unexpectedly brought to life when George and Harold jokingly hypnotize Mr. Krupp to act like Captain Underpants. To their consternation, from then on whenever somebody snaps their fingers Mr. Krupp transforms into Captain Underpants, and then turns back if water is poured over his head.

Although the books take place in the real town of Piqua, Ohio, all areas that are mentioned in the town are purely fictional. The only real fact about Piqua mentioned in the series is its location in Miami County, Ohio.

Jerome Horwitz Elementary, where most of the stories take place, is a school that condemns any comedy and pranking, yet it is named after Curly of the Three Stooges.

These books, although "potty-mouthed", are considered very clever and funny by their target audience, and even some of their parents. The book often makes references to things from the 1970s.

The Captain Underpants books were reported by the American Library Association to be among the ten most frequently challenged books. Certain things have been included in the books as a response, including posters that advertise mindless conformity, school rules against using one's imagination, and an evil librarian who bans all but one book from the school library.

Pilkey also wrote and illustrated a book called The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, which takes the form of a comic book drawn and written by George and Harold.

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