Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot

Captain Underpants #12

by Dav Pilkey

There's something rotten in the state of Ohio, and it's smellier than a pile of putrid gym socks! Steer clear -- it's Sir Stinks-A-Lot!

George and Harold, and their doubles, Yesterday George and Yesterday Harold, have a good thing going. Two of them go to school, while the other two hide in the tree house and play video games all day -- then they switch! But when their malicious gym teacher, Mr. Meaner, creates a method of mind-control that turns their fellow students into attentive, obedient, perfect children, the future of all humanity will be in their hands!

Genres: Childrens, Humor, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, Comics

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2015

About the author

David "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.

Reviews

[Matt Stocco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.... The end of an era (perhaps?).

Captain Underpants has always had a very special place in my heart. I think Pilkey has crafted very amazing books, especially in helping young boys to learn to read (like myself). It is amazing reading these books as adults, there is so much hidden in there that, much like other "children" media such as Pixar movies, they are actually for "all ages".

I think that while this is not the most amazing or fun Captain Underpants adventure, it is probably the most important one. To me, Captain Underpants has never been a silly fun book, but actually has a very serious point. That point is that it is okay to be yourself. Are the two main characters the smartest kids in the school? No. Are they most athletic, no. However, they are passionate about what they love, and take no apologies for that. This is such a special quality, especially since so many other uptight people want to ban the books or say they are not appropriate. I think this idea is no more evident in the book than the scene where homosexuality is mentioned. I think that this how's Pilkey's true view on life, that nothing matters except that if you are happy, and I felt this scene showed this beautifully.

In summation I hope this is not the last Captain Underpants book. I feel that Pilkey has created something special and an important commentary on or society today

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got halfway until it was revealed Harold was gay. I immediately put the book down and got rid of it. Not okay in a children's story. I felt the rest was good clean fun, but this added nothing to the story and is not something that should have been brought up in these books.

[Melissa Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh lord we have reached the end, the final book in the epic series of Captain Underpants. If you haven't never read Captain Underpants lets recap quickly. 3.5 stars!

George and Harold are fourth graders who as we find out in this last book have ADHD. So they tend to get into mischief because they have a hard time paying attention, are easily distracted and have a hard time with impulse control. They tend to wreck havoc on the school teachers mostly, but sometimes their fellow students...mostly to Melvin Sneedly the school brainiac and tattle-tale. One day the boys get in big trouble and Mr. Krupp the principal decides he's finally going to separate the boys. He's going to put them in separate classes. (By the way, this is a rant, but I just found out that to take apart and to put something in two groups is spelled the same. Seperate is not a real word. It's the misspelling of separate. Food for thought) George and Harold panic and do the only thing 4th graders can do. They decide to hypnotize the principal. Some how through kid magic it works and the boys turn Mr. Krupp into Captain Underpants the superhero from their homemade comic books. Through the entire series Captain Underpants has to fight off all the villains and save the day.

In the conclusion of this series we have one last villain, Sir Sticks A Lot who is the gym teacher Mr. Meany. However he is being taken over by a alien particle called the Zygo-Gogozizzle 24. The alien decides that it doesn't want to rule the world like most evil villains, it does feel the need to brain wash all the children in Piqua, Ohio to become its slave. Then all the kids on the planet. So Mr. Meany a.k.a Sir Sticks A Lot builds an ape like robot exoskeleton that has powerful armpit sprayers. These spray cans are filled with Rid-O-Kid 2000 which turns all the kids into compliant slaves. They will do what ever an adult says to do. George and Harold find out and decide they need a grownup to help them save the day. But who do they turn to? I'm not going to spoil it.

Overall I really enjoyed this series. Dav Pilkey suffered from ADHD, dyslexia and behavioral problems. He was often out in the hall as a punishment for his disruptive behavior. This gave him time to write and draw his own comic book stories. In second grade Dav created Captain Underpants. His teacher ripped it up and told him he couldn't spend his life creating silly books. He sure got the last laugh. I love that Dav got to use his disability growing up to create something that most kids are very fond of. I work at an elementary school and the Captain Underpant books are sooo well loved that they are all falling apart at the seams. The library doesn't have enough copies for the amount of kids that want to read them. A lot of the teachers have their own class sets because of this. I have very much enjoyed reading George and Harolds adventures out loud to my own kids. The cherry on top. These books are filled with high vocabulary words. They promote science, helping others and solving problems. There are current events in these books which are funny to see AND future Harold is married to a man. I'm happy to see a bit of gay representation in a children't book. There all kinds of parents out there!

I recommend these books!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boys LOVE the Captain Underpants series and have read all the books but this is the first one I've read. I was actually pleasantly surprised. It wasn't nearly as gross as a thought it would be and had some adult humor thrown in that would probably go over most kids heads. For instance, one of the teachers is named Miss Anthrope. There were also some big words (e.g. megalomaniac) that can build up kids' vocabularies. Lastly, I loved that there is a same-sex couple and people of different races in this book.

I'm not sure my 11 year old cared about any of that. He just thought it was hilarious. And that's okay too.

[Danielle Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

One extra star for the inclusion of Harold's adorable future husband!

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe this is the last one in the series! Surely not?! My boys have loved all of these, and I have to admit that I was the driving force behind choosing them as bedtime stories. There is something for everyone in these stories.
I have heard that there are certain districts (?) in the U.S. That have banned these books, which I find utterly bizarre and rather sad. It's hardly graphic violence or pornography, and one can always chose not to buy a book. It's not like it's forced into a child's hand and they're forced to read it (Clockwork Orange style, with eyelids pinned open, tied to a chair). Why people feel the need to impose THEIR opinions on others and force their way of life on others, this is something that I will never comprehend. And it invariably backfires on the enforcer. But hey, that's my opinion.
For me and my family: we love these books. There's nothing better than getting into bed with my sons, one on each side, reading these books and laughing at all the silly jokes. That's what I'll remember when my boys tell me they're too old for bedtime stories (how does 30 years from now sound?!).

[Sara Rad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was unaware of this book being banned by several school districts in the U.S. until I researched it. But, I remember growing up and Captain Underpants being one of the funniest and most creative books that kids thoroughly enjoyed. The Captain Underpants series I believe was banned because it could have encouraged disobedience with children and had an inappropriate taste to it, which made it hard to suit for a certain age group. This particular book, the twelfth addition in the series, concerned teachers and parents because there were some references to Harold being gay, which parents didn't want their kids reading into. Personally, I also didn't like how in every book there was comically bad spelling. It is aimed towards kids and how they would sound out the words, but I think it could influence students to spell the same way as they are in this book.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

And that's the end of Captain Underpants! It's been a long hilarious, successful journey that has come to a close with little fanfare. I can't say I found this volume as delightful as the usual outings. The silly toilet humour has been pared down and Pilkey sadly sinks to political correctness but it was still a wacky wild ride that tied up the Underpants story while at the same time leaving Harold and George wide open for further adventures ... in time!

[Madeline Opet · Rating 1 out of 5]

My daughter loves these books and we’ve enjoyed most of them until this last one where Dave Pilkey decided to make future Harold Gay. I don’t care if I’m in the minority but I don’t want my daughter exposed to these issues from a children’s book. So inappropriate and unnecessary.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

These were so good early on...this one was horrible! My rating is one star but Finian would probably give it five! ;-)

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harold is quietly outed.

[Cassie_Reads_Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed 😔

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son absolutely adores these books (and the show), and while I'm not a fan, it's really increased his interest in reading.
Mr. Meaner becomes super smart and tries to convert everyone to be like him. With all the usual hijinks, the boys, along with Captain Underpants, save the day.

[J.B. Mathias · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know the tone of these books has really shifted and they've lost a lot of their charm. Captain underpants books were always a celebration of letting kids be kids and just having fun, but this book starts off by getting political and taking shots at conservatives. It paints old republicans as being people who are offended all the time and ruin things for kids...The book predicts outrage from these people and then tries to bait the outrage by unnecesarily slipping in that Harold is gay. And for the record this was never a banned book, the banned book list is a misnomer and it simply means that in some places, parents requested it not be included in a school library...which is absolutely not the same as being banned.

And yet Pilkey does have a book that was banned Ook and Gluk... I've read Ook and Gluk and there's not a thing in it that was even the slighest bit offensive..and it wasn't pulled because of Fox news watching hard candy eating republican geriatrics. It was pulled from publication by demands from mostly young, left wing activists. Either way this is not the place for political messages, it's not the place to ponder the human condition in relation to nuclear proliferation and references to political discourse of Donald Trump it's the place for kids to read fart jokes and pranks.

Also as someone with a psychology degree the message being delivered to children that their psychological diagnosis is a badge of honor to be worn with pride is a very dangerous and harmful message. It tends to make peoples disorder worse and encourages them to make no effort to better themselves while also giving them an excuse for negative behaviours. It's one thing to say it's ok and they can still live fulfilling and productive lives and even find a nice niche like mr Pilkey did...but a badge of honor is a step too far and is just as harmful as telling kids the inverse extreme.

Speaking of fart jokes, a series that began with villains who are toilets, and pieces of poo now can't even have a stink spray come out of a fake mechanical butt? The barometer on what's offensive and what is acceptable is way off and the result is a less interesting and less funny book for children.

I also hated the ending, I'm glad the series is over because it had been going downhill for a while but the way they did it was not a very satisfying ending. If I were you, whether you be a kid or an adult looking to check out the series again for nostalgia I would stop after book 5. Book 6 and 7 were pretty good but book 6 starts a trend where every book bleeds into the next one with a cliffhanger and the quality rapidly drops after book 7. Overall a very enjoyable series that either needed to not change so much or needed to end much sooner.

[Tranylle · Rating 2 out of 5]

...Where to begin with this one. It started out good, had an interesting plot and funny characters. But then we get almost to the end, when George and Harold go find their future selves for help... and it shows that Harold has a husband. Call me whatever you want, but despite the times we live in, I still find that inappropriate for a children's book. When we got to that bit, my 6 year old stopped me and asked if he had heard that right, so we had a little discussion about it. Which is fine, we've talked about this subject before. It just has me worried about what else might be in children's books that he will eventually read without me. Is there going to come a time when I will have to read children's books before he can, to make sure it doesn't have adult content in it? I found Pilkey's humor to be funny, and I laughed right along with my kids throughout the series. These were cleverly done, but I'm relieved that this seems to be the last one, unless you count the Dogman and cavemen ones.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a book for kids. I was disappointed that the author promised he would take out immature and explicit content. At the end of this book he presents the main character as a married Gay man. I don't want my children reading this at a young age.

[Glassj0 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Enjoy having the gay marriage talk right before bedtime. I already explained the whole “different strokes for different folks” deal but I guess Pilkey wanted us to talk about it for bedtime. The story was fun. The activist sneak attack was not.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 35 pages. The first few chapters were talking crap about the GOP (grumpy old people) and Fox News, etc. etc. It is gross and unnecessary to put politics into a kids book like this and I was thankful the kids were bored with it so that we didn’t have to move past the first few chapters.

[neek]

the first turkish book i have read to completion

[Owen Townend · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm happy to report that this, the proclaimed final book of the current Captain Underpants series, is a worthy ending.

I first picked up The Adventures of Captain Underpants back in the year 2000, attracted by its light take on superheroes and all round silliness. Since then it has had the rare honour of being a series that I have taken through to my adulthood. While the characters are of course fun and memorable, the real reason I've stuck by the Waistband Warrior is that Pilkey's wry but absurd humour chimes so well with my own.

This book in particular is a fine example from its Vonnegut-esque science fiction ('Zygo-Gogozizzle 24 is a slightly radioactive substance that can bind with organic matter, morph into complex organisms, and be mixed with mayonnaise and dill-pickle relish to create both a tasty salad dressing and a clean-burning fuel source with enough power to light up an entire city.') to its exceptionally tongue-in-cheek sound effects (CHIMBA-LOOSHI! and CHEFFGOAL-D'BLOOOM! anyone?).

It is also surprisingly progressive considering that it shows a future Harold Hutchins with a rather dapper husband. I had no idea that this proved such a controversy in America that some schools banned the book. It baffles me that such details are still so vehemently protested.

However what makes me most sad is the thought that this wonderful book series has come to a credible conclusion. I am sure the recent successful film adaptation and TV show will herald more stories but, quite frankly, neither format offers the unique chance to control the action via Flip-O-Rama fight sequences.

Regardless I will end on a happy note of 'Tra-la-la!' at least until somebody throws water on me.

I recommend this book and the rest of the series before it, to anyone who isn't an old-fashioned fuddy duddy or a 'Mr Krupp'.

NOTE: If you are a gym or PE teacher without a sense of humour, this may not be the book for you...

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I laughed a bit too much with this book. I am, after all, an adult. An old person. I read this book for this year's banned/challenged books week. This particular book in the series features something so awful and horrendous that most kids can't handle it. I'm talking about someone who is *whispers* g-a-y. OMG!!!! No!!!

Ok, now that we survived, we can move on. I love Dav Pilkey. He wrote Cat Kong and Dogzilla. Two of my favorite children's books. I think this man is brilliant in his writing. He has lots of jokes that only adults will understand and if adults are not reading these books they just miss out. It's a shame.

A few notes I wrote down while reading:

page 11 - Harold and George have 3 pets, part hamster and pterodactyls. Tony, Orlando, and Dawn. You have to be an adult to understand that.

page 15 - "These books have been criticized for words like heck, tinkle, fart, and pee-pee. These words are offensive to grouchy old people." I guess you have to be an adult to use these words because I have a perfume called fart kitten.

page 16 - GOP - Grouchy old people.

page 36 - chapter title - A Paradox for a pair of docs.

page 43 - chapter title - Crimes and Mr. Meaner.

and more chapter titles are song titles but just a bit off. Again, this will be for the adults.

Of course, the kids are the same rambunctious, let's get into trouble, normal type kids. It's a shame there aren't any good kind of adults, like me, after all I do wear a perfume called fart kitten.

Hey, Dav Pilkey, could I be a cool adult in one of your books?

[Edward Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, the final Captain Underpants book, and I was faced with the daunitng task of explaining to a five year old why Harold had a husband instead of a wife. Sigh. Still, great fun all round and a sad yet fitting end to the series.

[Marieta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es el segundo o tercer libro que leo de esta saga y la verdad es que lo recomiendo mucho. Es genial para entretenerse y desconectar un rato. También es ideal para llevarlo de viaje, porque no ocupa mucho y no pesa. Además, las historias son muy divertidas.

[Henry Battrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep wondering why the gym teacher ate that weird rock.🤣

[Devin Chatwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the mom who had to read this- I loved the song references 🤩 and love how my 5 yo asks questions and can’t wait to read what is next!!

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinda sad that it's the end.

[Alex Klaas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really really funny

[Aaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

melkein liikutuin kyyneliin ja 5/5

[Yasaman Arjmandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

oh the end was really bad، i thought they would end with each other but their spouses were awful, white wife?and a husband for harold?
i can't blieve it

[Samuel Lesser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had a great ending!