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Dog Man #12
Policán 12: El Pestazo Escarlata
Our canine superhero returns in DOG MAN: THE SCARLET SHEDDER, the suspenseful and hilarious twelfth graphic novel in the #1 worldwide bestselling series by award-winning author and illustrator Dav Pilkey!
P.U.! Dog Man got sprayed by a skunk! After being dunked in tomato juice, the stink is gone but the scarlet red color remains. Now exiled, this spunky superhero must struggle to save the citizens who shunned him! Will the ends justify the means for Petey, who's reluctantly pulled back into a life of crime in order to help Dog Man? And who will step forward when an all-new, never-before-seen villain unleashes an army of A.I. robots?
P.U.! Dog Man got sprayed by a skunk! After being dunked in tomato juice, the stink is gone but the scarlet red color remains. Now exiled, this spunky superhero must struggle to save the citizens who shunned him! Will the ends justify the means for Petey, who's reluctantly pulled back into a life of crime in order to help Dog Man? And who will step forward when an all-new, never-before-seen villain unleashes an army of A.I. robots?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2024
1196 people are currently reading
1913 people want to read
About the author
Dav Pilkey
435 books3,323 followersDavid "Dav" Pilkey (b. March 4, 1966), is a popular children's author and artist. Pilkey is best known as the author and illustrator of the Captain Underpants book series. He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife, Sayuri.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
March 20, 2024
truly the best piece of literature i’ve ever picked up. touching on subjects like social media and the increase in artificial intelligence, as well as the modern justice system. the art in this is just phenomenal. a book i think everyone should read.
June 8, 2025
"Foi uma leitura feita com a mãe, estou a ler melhor.
Gostei muito do livro, adorei.
Achei bonita a capa.
Gostei do nome de uma personagem:Tubarão Ninja.
As personagens de que mais gostei foram o Homem Cão, o Petey pequenino e grande.
Quero voltar a ler este livro um dia."
Óscar, o meu pequeno leitor que adora livros!! 😍☺️
Gostei muito do livro, adorei.
Achei bonita a capa.
Gostei do nome de uma personagem:Tubarão Ninja.
As personagens de que mais gostei foram o Homem Cão, o Petey pequenino e grande.
Quero voltar a ler este livro um dia."
Óscar, o meu pequeno leitor que adora livros!! 😍☺️
May 25, 2024
Dog Man is soooo popular with my students - impossible to have enough in the library for all the students who want to read one. Our school was very lucky to be the recipient of a grant from the Dav Pilkey foundation made possible by Ruby's Books, a local book store. All students in 1st through 5th grade received a copy of the book. I decided it was about time to read one - I will say it is more clever than I imagined and there is an underlying life-lesson, beyond the silliness and humor that probably stands out for most readers. I'm giving it a 5 because it brought such joy to the students, and to see them excited to read is the most valuable thing.
April 9, 2024
Supa epic!!
February 15, 2025
With the chief getting hitched and a new boss in charge, Dog Man is seeing red after he gets in a very stinky wicket and we learn more of Petey’s life via dreams. Later when an evil robo-rampage occurs, he and Lil’ Petey will suit up and become supa caped crusaders. A- (91%/Excellent)
March 9, 2025
ANTI AI THEMES IN MY DOG MAN I KNOW THAT'S RIGHTTT <3
also loved the petey backstory lore that's what I'm here for
also loved the petey backstory lore that's what I'm here for
October 7, 2024
My son came home from school RAVING about this book. He got it from me for his 11th birthday and brought it to school- read it during his free time and could not stop talking about it all the way home. He said “it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year, you HAVE to read it momma!” So of course I had to read it! And it was great! Obviously not my normal type of book and I don’t usually count children’s books in my book logs unless it’s a long one like Harry Potter OR unless I read it separately from my son (like this one).
I especially enjoyed the touching and inspirational scene toward the end. I shook my fist and said YES! On one part.
Thank you Dav Pilkey for writing books that give us moments like this- where my son experiences a love for books that he will never forget. Not to be dramatic but your stories will always be a part of my son’s childhood memories and I can’t thank you enough for that.
I especially enjoyed the touching and inspirational scene toward the end. I shook my fist and said YES! On one part.
Thank you Dav Pilkey for writing books that give us moments like this- where my son experiences a love for books that he will never forget. Not to be dramatic but your stories will always be a part of my son’s childhood memories and I can’t thank you enough for that.
Read
October 28, 2024I will always love Dogman because it was the first series I willingly read in my I-do-not-like-to-read era. I always get excited when a new book comes out, and this one did not disappoint.
I read it all in one sitting. As usual, in this 12th novel of the series, Dogman brought all of the humor and goofiness it always does. I loved the theme of this book being about AI taking over, as now, with the ever-expanding knowledge and improving computers, robots taking over is becoming a more popular topic irl.
I just thought I would add this because it's funny. But I didn't realize (after the character literally being in 10 of the books) that 80-HD is a pun on ADHD, a disorder that I (as well as the author) have. The irony is that that is probably the reason I didn't notice the pun for so long.
-Zoey :)
I read it all in one sitting. As usual, in this 12th novel of the series, Dogman brought all of the humor and goofiness it always does. I loved the theme of this book being about AI taking over, as now, with the ever-expanding knowledge and improving computers, robots taking over is becoming a more popular topic irl.
I just thought I would add this because it's funny. But I didn't realize (after the character literally being in 10 of the books) that 80-HD is a pun on ADHD, a disorder that I (as well as the author) have. The irony is that that is probably the reason I didn't notice the pun for so long.
-Zoey :)
March 29, 2024
The first half of the this book is ridiculously funny and rife with wonderful flip-o-ramas. I read this one on an airplane so many people were able to witness (judge?) the glee of an adult reading Dog Man. The AI bad guy stuff was culturally on point (and I loved Pilkey’s explanation of source material at the end) but it wasn’t as poignant or funny as some of Dog Man’s previous plot lines. (The literature parodies are my favorites.) Since the lessons of AI are TBD, the ambiguity and lack of closure may have been Pilkey’s point. I have to add that my kids loved the superhero glow-up the Supa Buddies got in this book.
March 23, 2024
This book was an absolute blast to read! It was a great story, hilarious from cover to cover, packed full of action, and ended with a very wholesome moral.
Check out my review on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/sZmlBnxe5z0?si=fTpt8...
Check out my review on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/sZmlBnxe5z0?si=fTpt8...
March 20, 2024
Doi
I LOVED IT THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST DOG MAN BOOKS EVER -OWNER OF TONS OF DOG MAN BOOKS! :)
I LOVED IT THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST DOG MAN BOOKS EVER -OWNER OF TONS OF DOG MAN BOOKS! :)
March 27, 2024
Funny and heartwarming
April 11, 2024
Pretty funny
January 3, 2025
I found this book at my cousins house so I read it
July 5, 2025
Another fun read with my son.
Read
September 2, 2025There was a moment when AI robots declare end of their oppression and attempt to overthrow humans and Dr. Scum, the creator of these bots, decides to RESIST THE RESISTANCE by creating more robots, when I was excited to see what happens next but the author chose instead to resist my excitement by ignoring that direction by using supa heroes instead.
July 28, 2025
My kids and I have a book club. This was the most recent pick. It was so funny. We laughed so incredibly hard through most of the book.
March 19, 2024
This book was great it was a good book in the series, but im hoping the next one dog man will not be red.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2024
Dog Man does it again! “We can’t control the wind, but we can adjust our sails.”
March 28, 2024
We’re team Wally!
Another lovely story about friends , families of all kinds and new unknown enemies.
The arc of Petey is charming and inspiring for kids and adults.
Another lovely story about friends , families of all kinds and new unknown enemies.
The arc of Petey is charming and inspiring for kids and adults.
March 29, 2024
funny as always
January 9, 2026
Oh boy this one was a doozy. So first off, we have the title The Scarlet Shedder which I think is a reference to Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. The reason why I believe that there's a connection is because there's one scene where the judge and temporary chief destroy city hall and then decide to blame it all on Dog Man. This really reminded me of how girls were persecuted in the Salem Witch Trials for something that probably was not their fault. BUT WAIT IT GETS BETTER
because Pilkey literally dyes Dog Man red (from tomato juice). So from a child's perspective he's literally a "scarlet shedder." The judge and temp chief are also so corrupt (commentary on government corruption as well).
Ok next, the overall commentary in the Dog Man series is insane. The series highlights how society treats ex-cons. For example, Dr. Scum coerces Petey into becoming a "bad guy" again which is similar to how real-life ex-cons often have this struggle of past acquaintances trying to turn them to their old ways. On top of that, there's also the stigma that ex-cons will always be "bad" which is demonstrated when Petey asks others for help rebuilding his lab. I don't think I'm explaining this all too well, but just trust me on this (I need to do more research).
This book also has commentary on artificial intelligence. Pilkey admits in the notes that he drew the robot with visual inconsistences to "reflect how A.I. often creates continuity errors in consecutive images." I myself wasn't able to find those inconsistencies but I was also reading on my tiny phone so I could have missed it.
Next, we get more flashbacks of Petey's childhood, but this time, focused on his mom. Can I just say, this plotline broke my heart. Because we see how much she wants to teach Petey to look at the bright side. For example, after getting out of the hospital (where Petey's dad didn't show up), we learn that the family has been evicted. Because he's a little kid, Petey asks why theres a lock on their door to which his mom responds that "it's somebody else's turn to live here." Like the way she tries to keep a positive spin on everything because she wants to be a good role model for Petey.
In the same flashback, we also meet LITTLE JIM. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE INVISIBLE STRING. Because Petey meets Little Jim at the shelter with his mom. And bro, Little Jim's parents are dead. The reason why this is an invisible string is because Little Jim grows up to become BIG JIM who is one of Petey's jail mates. Again, I feel like this highlights how the system is set up to ensure that people who are disadvantaged stay disadvantaged. (Single parent household, orphan, etc. both end up in jail for reasons not entirely known.)
And to end everything off, we finally get Petey starting to see himself as a good guy. In the past few books, he's very insecure and hesitant to call himself "good." This caused such a reaction in me that I cried and started to re-evaluate everything about life.
To sum things up, Dog Man is more than just a children's book and shows how even older audiences can enjoy these books. If you haven't read Dog Man yet or seen the movie, what are you even doing with your life.
because Pilkey literally dyes Dog Man red (from tomato juice). So from a child's perspective he's literally a "scarlet shedder." The judge and temp chief are also so corrupt (commentary on government corruption as well).
Ok next, the overall commentary in the Dog Man series is insane. The series highlights how society treats ex-cons. For example, Dr. Scum coerces Petey into becoming a "bad guy" again which is similar to how real-life ex-cons often have this struggle of past acquaintances trying to turn them to their old ways. On top of that, there's also the stigma that ex-cons will always be "bad" which is demonstrated when Petey asks others for help rebuilding his lab. I don't think I'm explaining this all too well, but just trust me on this (I need to do more research).
This book also has commentary on artificial intelligence. Pilkey admits in the notes that he drew the robot with visual inconsistences to "reflect how A.I. often creates continuity errors in consecutive images." I myself wasn't able to find those inconsistencies but I was also reading on my tiny phone so I could have missed it.
Next, we get more flashbacks of Petey's childhood, but this time, focused on his mom. Can I just say, this plotline broke my heart. Because we see how much she wants to teach Petey to look at the bright side. For example, after getting out of the hospital (where Petey's dad didn't show up), we learn that the family has been evicted. Because he's a little kid, Petey asks why theres a lock on their door to which his mom responds that "it's somebody else's turn to live here." Like the way she tries to keep a positive spin on everything because she wants to be a good role model for Petey.
In the same flashback, we also meet LITTLE JIM. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE INVISIBLE STRING. Because Petey meets Little Jim at the shelter with his mom. And bro, Little Jim's parents are dead. The reason why this is an invisible string is because Little Jim grows up to become BIG JIM who is one of Petey's jail mates. Again, I feel like this highlights how the system is set up to ensure that people who are disadvantaged stay disadvantaged. (Single parent household, orphan, etc. both end up in jail for reasons not entirely known.)
And to end everything off, we finally get Petey starting to see himself as a good guy. In the past few books, he's very insecure and hesitant to call himself "good." This caused such a reaction in me that I cried and started to re-evaluate everything about life.
To sum things up, Dog Man is more than just a children's book and shows how even older audiences can enjoy these books. If you haven't read Dog Man yet or seen the movie, what are you even doing with your life.
December 25, 2025
I have a lot of respect for what this book is doing. The art is expressive, the story is cute and well-constructed, and it’s very clear how much care and craft went into making this fun, accessible, and engaging for its intended audience.
My rating is based purely on my own personal enjoyment, and I’ll freely admit that I’m not the target audience here. For me, this landed at a 3⭐️ experience.
That said, this is absolutely not a knock on the storytelling, the art, or the series as a whole. If I were buying for a kid, I’d hand this over without hesitation. It’s charming, well made, and clearly doing exactly what it sets out to do — just not quite for me.
My rating is based purely on my own personal enjoyment, and I’ll freely admit that I’m not the target audience here. For me, this landed at a 3⭐️ experience.
That said, this is absolutely not a knock on the storytelling, the art, or the series as a whole. If I were buying for a kid, I’d hand this over without hesitation. It’s charming, well made, and clearly doing exactly what it sets out to do — just not quite for me.
December 2, 2025
I wonder why none of my libraries have this in paper, though they have the rest of the series in that format. The ebook is fine, but it's really not the same, imo
So, this has the most evil villain yet. An A.I. robot that knows how to divide and conquer. The bit about pink bunnies v. purple bunnies is terrifying, for those of us who follow the news at all. And then it gets even more horrifying. Don't miss Petey's bit; it almost gets lost in the drama. And don't miss the notes (never skip Pilkey's notes).
So, this has the most evil villain yet. An A.I. robot that knows how to divide and conquer. The bit about pink bunnies v. purple bunnies is terrifying, for those of us who follow the news at all. And then it gets even more horrifying. Don't miss Petey's bit; it almost gets lost in the drama. And don't miss the notes (never skip Pilkey's notes).
June 21, 2024
Amazing how much of a good person with adhd can do love you Dave
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2025
it wuz very funny.
March 27, 2025
only one more dog man book after this 3
January 29, 2025
for 2 hole chapters I thought that the bad guys were going to win because of the giant dog man robot...!
4.5 stars... bruh!
afkmlg!!!
4.5 stars... bruh!
afkmlg!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2024
Another late-period Dog Man book. It's up to #12 now, as long as the Captain Underpants series! I doubt Pilkey going to wind it down as long as people like me keep buying them - he dominates the children's best-seller lists more decisively than Taylor Swift dominates the music rankings - but it does feel like it's spinning its wheels.
I mean, it's mostly enjoyable! My son continues to love it, and he finds lots of parts to laugh out loud at or to ask me to re-read the next day. The mix of literary references, toilet humor, and absurdist kid stuff is fun for me, too. And while most of the art is intentionally simplistic, there are a few times when Pilkey breaks from the conceit that a fictional 5th grader drew it and really turns out solid superhero action.
But the character development isn't what it used to be. There was a time (maybe books 2-6?) when it was about people truly facing what it means to be a good person in a world where bad stuff happens, and their decision to find joy and do good felt hard-won. Now, every book follows the same formula: Petey has a crisis, then he hears a one-sentence platitude, and he spends a chapter applying that to his life. Then it ends with everyone smiling.
And beyond that... I'm not sure what's going on with Pilkey's social commentary. This one was probably supposed to be about how people retreat to their phones and ignore the world around them, which is a fair worry! But it was presented as AI robots taking over the world and doing our jobs for us. What it actually said was that people are so lazy that they would take more recreation time if technology took care of our chores. But... wouldn't that be a good thing? In reality, the worry we're facing now is that our positions are more precarious, AI could take our livelihoods, and we're more stressed out. People deserve time to relax and not be shamed for it, and a society that let everyone share the rewards of our increased productivity would be a better one than we have. If someone enjoys taking selfies, then let them!
I mean, it's mostly enjoyable! My son continues to love it, and he finds lots of parts to laugh out loud at or to ask me to re-read the next day. The mix of literary references, toilet humor, and absurdist kid stuff is fun for me, too. And while most of the art is intentionally simplistic, there are a few times when Pilkey breaks from the conceit that a fictional 5th grader drew it and really turns out solid superhero action.
But the character development isn't what it used to be. There was a time (maybe books 2-6?) when it was about people truly facing what it means to be a good person in a world where bad stuff happens, and their decision to find joy and do good felt hard-won. Now, every book follows the same formula: Petey has a crisis, then he hears a one-sentence platitude, and he spends a chapter applying that to his life. Then it ends with everyone smiling.
And beyond that... I'm not sure what's going on with Pilkey's social commentary. This one was probably supposed to be about how people retreat to their phones and ignore the world around them, which is a fair worry! But it was presented as AI robots taking over the world and doing our jobs for us. What it actually said was that people are so lazy that they would take more recreation time if technology took care of our chores. But... wouldn't that be a good thing? In reality, the worry we're facing now is that our positions are more precarious, AI could take our livelihoods, and we're more stressed out. People deserve time to relax and not be shamed for it, and a society that let everyone share the rewards of our increased productivity would be a better one than we have. If someone enjoys taking selfies, then let them!
April 5, 2024
Children's graphic novel, book 12 in a series. I have read the whole Dog Man series with my son over the last year or so and so we eagerly put this one on hold. While the story was still enjoyable, it was a bi dark and foreboding as an adult reader. The title comes from Dog Man's unfortunate bath in tomato sauce after a run-in with a skunk he was stained red and became 'The scarlet shedder." With Chief on his honeymoon, one of the underling cops takes advantage of the opportunity to arrest Dog Man on made-up charges. Dr. Scum offers Dog Man his freedom if Petey will come work with him at the AI robot factory. So robot Dog-Man is in jail while real Dog Man hides out with Lil Petey, 80-HD, and Molly the tadpole. Petey resigns himself to his fate as a bad guy, until he has flashbacks of his mother saying "We can't control the wind, but we can adjust our sails." Of course Dr. Scum creates the AI robots anyway, a battle ensues, and most of the members of society are quite obliviously playing on their phones in the meantime.
Dav Pilkey impresses me with the multiple layers of his stories. I really feel like they could be discussed and analyzed in a book club or English class. On the surface they're a fun story about these animals, but there's so much underneath. I admit I was guilty of writing off Captain Underpants, which admittedly is not as deep as the Cat Kid or Dog Man books. But overall I feel Pilkey has a very keen eye when it comes to analyzing human behavior and truly writes for all ages.
Dav Pilkey impresses me with the multiple layers of his stories. I really feel like they could be discussed and analyzed in a book club or English class. On the surface they're a fun story about these animals, but there's so much underneath. I admit I was guilty of writing off Captain Underpants, which admittedly is not as deep as the Cat Kid or Dog Man books. But overall I feel Pilkey has a very keen eye when it comes to analyzing human behavior and truly writes for all ages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews