Move over, Captain Underpants! There's a tiny new superhero in town. Undaunted by Principal Krupp's insistence that their essay assignment on good citizenship not be another comic book about the briefs-clad warrior, fourth graders George and Harold decide to invent a new superhero. Super Diaper Baby is born! It's up to our fearless infant hero to save the planet from diabolical Deputy Doo-Doo and his reluctantly evil pooch, Danger Dog ("I'm not really evil. I'm just in it for the kibbles."). Several robotic battles, intergalactic digressions, and "flip-o-ramas" later, Super Diaper Baby has done his duty, and George and Harold are in trouble yet again with their principal. Still, it was worth it, as any fan of Dav Pilkey's lowbrow, scatologically inclined "epic novels" (The Adventures of Captain Underpants, Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman, etc.) will attest. George and Harold's spelling is atrocious, their humor is straight off the grade school playground, and kids love every page of it. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter


From Publishers Weekly
When the principal discovers incorrigible fourth graders George and Harold in the gym, running over ketchup packets with their skateboards, he punishes them with the assignment of writing a 100-page essay on good citizenship and cautions them against turning in another comic book about Captain Underpants. No problemo for this creative duo, who instead invent another slightly younger "super hero." The madcap misadventures of this diapered daredevil possess all the kid-tickling silliness that fans of his underwear-clad predecessor apparently can't get enough of plus ample doses of bathroom humor. When the doctor gives him "the spank of life" at birth, he slaps the newborn too hard and the infant goes flying out the hospital window, landing in a container of "super power juice" that evil Deputy Dangerous has zapped from Captain Underpants. Then, trying to retrieve the powers from Baby, the villain inadvertently turns himself into the "piece of poo" that was in the young hero's diaper. "Deputy Doo-Doo" then seeks revenge alas, to no avail, since in the end, his once-loyal pooch and Baby wrap him up mummy-like in (what else?) toilet paper. Visually similar to the Captain Underpants capers, Pilkey's latest is replete with misspellings, pleasingly bad puns and the "flip-o-rama" feature that slips some rudimentary animation into these preposterously good-humored pages. Novice graphic-novel creators will appreciate a concluding "How 2 Draw" section. Ages 7-10. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-Another goofy, gross-out selection from a popular author. In this, their first graphic novel, Harold and George are caught in the act of skateboarding over ketchup packets in the gym and ordered by Principal Krupp to write an essay on good citizenship. After strict instructions against turning in another "Captain Underpants" comic book, the boys decide to create a new superhero. When super power juice is sucked out of Captain Underpants by the evil Deputy Dangerous, it appears that all is lost. However, the potent liquid is ingested by a newborn baby and "Super Diaper Baby" is born. In a plot to recapture the juice from the infant, Deputy Dangerous inadvertently becomes "Deputy Doo-Doo" when he is turned into a giant "poop" by his own invention. Where do the heroes take him? "Why Uranus, of course!" Puns, jokes about bodily functions, and ludicrous misspellings will keep children who enjoy this level of comedy suitably entertained. ("What's the difference between boogers and broccoli? Kids won't eat broccoli.") Any library with a "Captain Underpants" (Scholastic) following will want to own multiple copies of this title as well.Piper L. Nyman, Fairfield Suisun Community Library, Fairfield, CA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
Oh, no! It's not enough that George and Harold have invented Captain Underpants, the greatest superhero of all time, and that they've also saved the world FIVE times! They defeated Dr. Diaper! They punished Professor Poopypants! And they whacked the wicked Wedgie Woman! What task could be worse?!!? This one: As punishment, the boys have to write a 100-page report on "good citizenship," and they have been specifically ordered NOT to write another comic about Captain Underpants. So what do they do? Aha! Meet Super Diaper Baby--the most powerful peewee to pack a punch. With Pilkey's typical over-the-edge humor, Super Diaper Baby will have kids laughing until soda comes out their noses.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
George Beard and Harold Hutchins, the kids who invented the sartorially challenged superhero known as Captain Underpants, are back again with another action-packed adventure. The boys are in trouble again, and this time, mean old Principal Krupp's punishment is a 100-page essay on good citizenship. To make matters worse, Krupp has forbidden the boys to write about their favorite topic -- Captain Underpants -- so the boys decide to create a new hero instead.

In the boys' latest adventure story, the evil villain Deputy Dangerous and his sidekick, Danger Dog, create an invention that captures Captain Underpants, sucks away his super powers, and turns them into a potion that Dangerous plans to drink. Danger Dog gets a few swallows of the potion, but before Dangerous gets his share, the police show up. Taking advantage of Danger Dog's newly acquired ability to fly, Dangerous manages to escape. But as he flies by a local hospital still carrying his beaker of super-power potion, an overzealous butt slap from a doctor sends a newly delivered baby flying out a window and into the beaker. The infant drinks up all of the solution, thereby acquiring amazing new powers that turn him into the newest, weirdest superhero ever: Super Diaper Baby.

Deputy Dangerous is nothing if not determined, and soon he invents the Danger Crib 2000, an innocent-looking device that he hopes will transfer Super Diaper Baby's powers back to him. But things go amusingly awry, and suddenly Dangerous finds himself having a very crappy day -- in the most dreaded sense of the word. What follows is the bathroom battle of the ages, including flying hunks of giant poo, huge rolls of toilet paper, and, of course, the planet Uranus.

Fans of the previous books in this silly series won't be disappointed. All the requisite trademarks are there: lots of potty humor, a few sly parental jokes, plenty of slapstick action, and page after page of Flip-O-Rama fun. And not only does the comic book structure in this newest issue make for great eye candy -- Super Diaper Baby is every bit as giggle-producing as his predecessor. (Beth Amos)

ANNOTATION

Irrepressible friends George and Harold create a new comic book superhero, Super Diaper Baby.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Oh, no! It's not enough that George and Harold have invented Captain Underpants, the greatest superhero of all time, and that they've also saved the world five times! They defeated Dr. Diaper! They trampled the terrible talking toilets! They crushed the crazed cafeteria ladies! They punished Professor Poopypants! And they whacked the wicked Wedgie Woman! What task could possibly be worse?

This one is worse: As punishment, they have to write a 100-page report on "good citizenship," and they have been specifically ordered NOT to write another book about Captain Underpants. What are two comic-book creative geniuses to do?

Meet Super Diaper Baby -- the most powerful peewee to pack a punch. With Pilkey's typical Captain Underpants over-the-edge humor, Super Diaper Baby will have readers laughing until soda comes out of their noses. George and Harold have created a diaper-clad baby superhero who accidentally falls out of a window and lands in a tub of Super Power Juice. His arch-enemy, Deputy Doodoo, wants to steal Super Diaper Baby's powers so he can take over the world. Will Doodoo win? Is planet Earth doomed? And does this sound like a report on good citizenship to you?

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

When the principal discovers incorrigible fourth graders George and Harold in the gym, running over ketchup packets with their skateboards, he punishes them with the assignment of writing a 100-page essay on good citizenship and cautions them against turning in another comic book about Captain Underpants. No problemo for this creative duo, who instead invent another slightly younger "super hero." The madcap misadventures of this diapered daredevil possess all the kid-tickling silliness that fans of his underwear-clad predecessor apparently can't get enough of plus ample doses of bathroom humor. When the doctor gives him "the spank of life" at birth, he slaps the newborn too hard and the infant goes flying out the hospital window, landing in a container of "super power juice" that evil Deputy Dangerous has zapped from Captain Underpants. Then, trying to retrieve the powers from Baby, the villain inadvertently turns himself into the "piece of poo" that was in the young hero's diaper. "Deputy Doo-Doo" then seeks revenge alas, to no avail, since in the end, his once-loyal pooch and Baby wrap him up mummy-like in (what else?) toilet paper. Visually similar to the Captain Underpants capers, Pilkey's latest is replete with misspellings, pleasingly bad puns and the "flip-o-rama" feature that slips some rudimentary animation into these preposterously good-humored pages. Novice graphic-novel creators will appreciate a concluding "How 2 Draw" section. Ages 7-10. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Jacki Vawter

The cover of this hardcover cartoon book says it all. From the creators of "Captain Underpants," a diapered infant now saves the world from dangers with "action," "laffs" and a "Flip-O-Rama in every chapter." The book is "The First Graphic Novel" by the two fourth grade boys who are character inventions. They begin the story by telling about the origin of Super Diaper Baby. Principal Krupp has assigned the boys an essay on good citizenship following their latest blunder but forbids them to turn in a comic book about Captain Underpants. So they decide to make up a new super hero and write a comic book about him. If this comic book hero is aimed at younger readers, then they will be subjected to the same outrageous humor and spelling errors as with Captain Underpants. The evil villain in this story is Deputy Dangerous who is transformed into poop and is thereafter known as Deputy Doo-Doo. He is eventually wrapped in toilet paper and deposited on Uranus. Giving away the ending will not take anything away from the readers who will choose this book. 2002, The Blue Sky Press,

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5-Another goofy, gross-out selection from a popular author. In this, their first graphic novel, Harold and George are caught in the act of skateboarding over ketchup packets in the gym and ordered by Principal Krupp to write an essay on good citizenship. After strict instructions against turning in another "Captain Underpants" comic book, the boys decide to create a new superhero. When super power juice is sucked out of Captain Underpants by the evil Deputy Dangerous, it appears that all is lost. However, the potent liquid is ingested by a newborn baby and "Super Diaper Baby" is born. In a plot to recapture the juice from the infant, Deputy Dangerous inadvertently becomes "Deputy Doo-Doo" when he is turned into a giant "poop" by his own invention. Where do the heroes take him? "Why Uranus, of course!" Puns, jokes about bodily functions, and ludicrous misspellings will keep children who enjoy this level of comedy suitably entertained. ("What's the difference between boogers and broccoli? Kids won't eat broccoli.") Any library with a "Captain Underpants" (Scholastic) following will want to own multiple copies of this title as well.-Piper L. Nyman, Fairfield Suisun Community Library, Fairfield, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews