Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas

Creativity is represented as a valuable endeavor, both through the characters’ actions and choices, as well as through the frame narrative. References to the broader frame narrative, such as in the Fore-Foreword and the Epilogue, remind readers that Dog Man is purported to be a comic book creation of the elementary school friends George and Harold; George says of Lord of the Flies: “I read it, and it inspired me to write a new Dog Man novel” (8). By adapting elements of Golding’s classic novel, Pilkey creatively incorporates satire, even though his youngest readers likely will not be familiar with the novel. However, if they eventually read Golding’s book, the satirized elements may feel a bit familiar because of the Dog Man linkage.

Readers are positioned to understand the story as an installment of a series of comics by the two fifth-grade friends. Authenticity for this frame narrative is created through the intentionally childlike, comic-book presentation of the graphic novel. Furthermore, the outlandish nature of the plot—where characters are chased by villains riding a Robo-Brontosaurus—and the presence of nontypical characters celebrate creativity. Harold and George are celebrated for their creativity through the reader’s enjoyment of their comic book story.