Grime and Punishment Discussion Questions and Dog Man Parent Review written by the Elf on 9/2/2020 This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Read Dog Man: Grime and Punishment
Book: Dog Man: Grime and Punishment
Author and Illustrator: Dav Pilkey
Genre: Superhero; Graphic novel
Pages: 226 (234 with extra material on drawing)
Published: September, 2020
Age Suggestion: 8+
Themes: Love, Family, Grief, Forgiveness
Warnings: Loss of a parent and parent abandonment are dealt with in the story.
Dog Man: Grime and Punishment Quick Summary
Oh no! The mayor has fired Dog Man! And Petey’s dad has come up with a new evil invention! Will Dog Man redeem himself and save the day again?
The Dog Man novels are loved for a reason! And every one keeps getting better! This is our favorite one so far! Graphic novels engage your kiddos brain in the same and different ways as reading just text. If you’ve got a hesitant or a voracious reader, try the Dog Man graphic novels!!
*Keep reading to find our Dog Man Discussion Questions & Dog Man Parent Review!*
Dog Man Parent Review:
**Light Spoilers**
After another embarrassing incident where Dog Man acts like – a dog, the mayor forces chief to fire him. Meanwhile, Petey’s dad has come up with a new evil invention. Li’l Petey and his robot 80-HD disguise Dog Man as a cat, and as Cat Man he is hired by the police. All of this falls apart as Petey’s dad starts to wreak havoc on the city by bringing a giant lunch bag to life. We know that Dog Man will save the day – but the odds are stacked against him.
The story goes into the backstory of Petey. We find out that Petey’s father abandoned he and his mother when his mother was sick and dying. Petey is having a very hard time dealing with this, and must learn how to forgive his father.
The book acknowledges the use of several sources. While none of these are Crime and Punishment, it is obvious that Pilkey knows the source material and choose his title well, as one of the main themes in both books is why we should choose compassion.
–Why Read It:
The series is incredibly popular. It is funny, enraging, and it teaches valuable moral lessons in an unobtrusive way. It is a book kids will read multiple times. This book will be of particular help in dealing with some issues such as parental death or abandonment.
In our divisive time, reading books that teach love and compassion is almost counter-cultural. The book is completely consistent with genuine Judaeo-Christian values.
I highly recommend the book.
-Plot/Story:
The story is, as said above, funny and engaging. The story wraps in its themes without ever hitting you over the head. The story teaches about love as opposed to hate. It is a costly love, as it means being able to forgive,even when there has been an extreme wrong done.
-Characters:
There are several characters from prior books deftly woven in (you do not need to have read the prior books but it makes it more fun). in the past few books, the major character development involves Petey. l would like to see some other characters develop more going forward, but the story arc with Petey going from bad to good has been powerful.
-What we loved about it:
Maybe everything?
–Favorite Quote:
Petey: “Sometimes all you’ve got left is hate.”
Li’l Petey: I don’t know, papa. Hate has caused a lot of problems in this world…but it hasn’t solved one yet.”
Dog Man Discussion Questions:
1. Is there someone you are having a hard time forgiving? Who is it? Would talking to a friend about it help?
2. Why is love better than hate?
3. If you had a super powerful robot, what adventure would you go on?
4. Who is your favorite character? What about in this book specifically?
5. What was the best part of this book, why?
Final Thoughts on Dog Man: Grime and Punishment
This book could be taken directly from the words of Jesus – Luke 6: 27-28. “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” A wonderful lesson that not only kids but adults need to listen to.
Pilkey once again does what he has done before. He teaches some complex moral themes in a fun, engaging way. Most kids are going to read this and not even know they are being taught forgiveness and compassion. The past few Dog Man books, in particular, have been impressive, and are going to be around for a long time.
What Next:
Check out our other Dog Man Reviews & Similar Posts Here!
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