So you read Dav Pilkey’s popular book (or the whole series) and loved it — now you’re on the hunt for books like Dog Man? Welcome!
Recommending readalikes can be a tricky process, but I enjoy the process of finding similar threads running through even books that appear different on the surface. Today’s pick is Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man, a much-loved funny graphic novel series about a dog-man hybrid who happens to be a police officer/hero.
For this list, I’ve gathered 11 funny books like Dog Man — many of which are graphic novels featuring human-animal hybrid characters who are either heroes or wannabe villains. If you enjoy funny graphic novels, then you’ll enjoy these books like Dog Man.
11 Funny Books Like Dog Man
Here are 11 funny books like Dog Man:
Mischief and Mayhem: Born to Be Bad
Published: June 15, 2021
Mischief and her side-cat Mayhem are your respectably heinous villains. They’ll spoil new movies, steal cake from parties they weren’t invited to, and hit the good citizens where it’ll dirty them most—their toilet paper. But before Mischief and Mayhem were ever supervillains, they were just Missy and Gizmo, fresh recruits at superhero boot camp.
Except Missy lied on her hero application and has exactly zero superpowers, just her brainpower. Humiliated when caught and kicked out, she has only one fellow camp recruit who is willing to stand by her—Melvira.
Unbeknownst to others, Melvira has her own villainous agenda, and it involves helping Missy cross the line into villainy as a new alter ego, Mischief. Something about Melvira doesn’t sit right with Missy, and soon she’ll be called upon to battle her former best friend…but will Missy be able to face the friend who was once her defender?
Ninja Kid
Published: May 18, 2021
Nelson wakes up on his birthday to discover that he has gained ninja powers overnight! This funny, heavily-illustrated series from Anh Do is action-packed, with an appealingly grounded heart. Nelson’s a nerd. Unfit, uncool . . . totally awkward! But when he wakes up on his tenth birthday, he discovers he’s a NINJA! THE LAST NINJA ON EARTH! How’s he going to SAVE THE WORLD when he can’t even get his undies on the right way?
InvestiGators (InvestiGators, 1)
Published: February 25, 2020
With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks―or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp?
Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth
Published: September 1, 2015
BOOM! CLANG! CRASH! D.J. and Gina are totally ordinary kids. But Hilo isn’t! Hilo just fell out of the sky and doesn’t know where he came from, or what he’s doing on Earth. (Or why going to school in only your underwear is a BAD idea!) . . . But UH-OH, what if Hilo wasn’t the only thing to fall to our planet? Can the trio unlock the secrets of Hilo’s past? Can Hilo survive a day at school? Find out in HILO-a laugh-out-loud, epic story of friendship! Adventure! (And the occasionaly mutant space robot)
Stick Dog
Published: January 8, 2013
He’ll make you laugh…he’ll make you cry…but above all, he’ll make you hungry!
Follow Stick Dog as he goes on an epic quest for the perfect burger. With hilarious text and stick-figure drawings, reluctant readers eat this one up!
Perfect for fans of such series as The Last Kids on Earth, Dog Man, Big Nate, Timmy Failure, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, this is the first book in the bestselling Stick Dog series. A favorite of readers ages 6 to 12, both avid and less so, Stick Dog is a winner for those looking for their next funny illustrated middle grade book series.
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Institute
Published: November 30, 2011
Serving justice . . . and lunch!
Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes—she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!
Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat #1
Published: February 26, 2019
Klawde had everything. Sharp claws. Fine fur. And, being the High Commander of the planet Lyttyrboks, an entire world of warlike cats at his command. But when he is stripped of his feline throne, he is sentenced to the worst possible punishment: exile to a small planet in a quiet corner of the universe… named Earth.
Raj had everything. A cool apartment in Brooklyn. Three friends who lived in his building. And pizza and comics within walking distance. But when his mom gets a job in Elba, Oregon, and he is forced to move, all of that changes. It’s now the beginning of summer, he has no friends, and because of his mother’s urgings, he has joined a nature camp.
It’s only when his doorbell rings and he meets a furball of a cat that Raj begins to think maybe his luck is turning around…
Real Pigeons Fight Crime (Book 1)
Published: January 7, 2020
Spending too much time staring at birds out your window? Well take another look, because what looks like an ordinary pigeon might just be saving your butt! Meet the heroic pigeons secretly flying around chasing bad guys in this hilarious illustrated series perfect for fans of BAD GUYS and DOG MAN.
What do REAL PIGEONS do? They fight crime, of course! Wait, what? You didn’t know your town is protected by a secret squad of crime-fighting feathered friends? Well, you are about to get schooled. REAL PIGEONS solve mysteries! REAL PIGEONS fight bad guys! And REAL PIGEONS won’t stop until your neighborhood is safe and the questions are all answered: Like, why have all the breadcrumbs disappeared? And which food truck smells the best?
The Bad Guys
Published: December 27, 2016
They sound like bad guys, they look like bad guys . . . and they even smell like bad guys. But Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are about to change all of that… Mr. Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys’ first good mission. They are going to break two hundred dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Will Operation Dog Pound go smoothly? Will the Bad Guys become the Good Guys? And will Mr. Snake please stop swallowing Mr. Piranha?! Turtleback binding is a highly durable alternative to a hardcover or paperback book. The comprehensive cover reinforcement process will drastically combat wear and tear, keeping your favorite books in great condition for years to come! Turtleback books are ideal for any reader, or for use in schools or libraries.
Big Nate
Published: July 27, 2021
A special Big Nate volume including all of the comics from Big Nate And Friends and Big Nate Makes The Grade.
The adventurous antics of sixth grader Nate Wright are on full display in this special collection, which includes all the comics from classic titles Big Nate and Friends and Big Nate Makes the Grade. Joining Nate in the fun at P.S. 38 are his best pals, Francis and Teddy. Whether he’s setting the school record for detentions, earning an A for annoying teacher’s pet Gina, or inventing new ways to trash talk during a chess tournament, Nate’s talent for making mischief is second to none.
When Pigs Fly (BatPig)
Published: November 9, 2021
Gary Yorkshire was your perfectly average, fuzzy pink pig who loved tasty sandwiches, video games, mud baths, and hanging out with his friends Carl the fish and Brooklyn the bat. Until one day . . . a radioactive bat bite gives him powers he never would have dreamed of! Inspired by his old Crimson Swine comics, Gary decides that he’ll use his powers for good and becomes (drumroll) Batpig! Now he just needs a good zinger of a Batpig slogan, a spandex costume that flatters his rear end . . . and maybe a little advice about how in the world to defeat supervillains?
Which of these books have you read and enjoyed?
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What do you think? Leave a comment