He visits schools where he encourages children to read. The author also became a powerful communicator. He went on to sell tens of millions of copies of his work, earning a strong following in dozens of countries. It wasn’t until he published the first book in the Captain Underpants series in the late 1990s that the wider public took notice of Pilkey’s work.

The books he wrote and illustrated in the years that followed were well received by critics but they were hardly financial successes. He researched children’s literature in earnest, honing his craft in the process. The achievement encouraged the cartoonist to continue pursuing his career as an artist. As part of his reward, the author’s book was published. His passion paid off when he created a children’s book which won a competition. Drawing was the one thing he was good at and he was determined to stick with it. People kept dismissing his artistic abilities. His experiences in high school were no better than those he had encountered in elementary school. The author believes that some of his conflicts with his teachers were the result of his sense of humor which the adult educators did not appreciate. It was during these years that he created Captain Underpants. One teacher went so far as to rip his comics apart. Though, his teachers were quick to dismiss his work. His stories were geared towards a young audience and his classmates loved them. He did not care for books but he liked to draw. And yet, sitting alone in the hallway was also very boring. His classmates were well aware of his limitations and they would often groan whenever he was called upon to read. Because of his dyslexia, he hated standing before his classmates to read. On the one hand, he had no interest in conventional classroom lessons.

Pilkey wasn’t particularly pleased with the development. The author’s rowdy behavior was so persistent that the school eventually added a desk to the hallway for him to occupy. On most days, he was just the class clown that threw paper airplanes and fired spitballs.īut on occasion, he would create such a ruckus that his teachers would send him out to stand in the hallway. Because of his ADHD, Pilkey was quite disruptive. It didn’t help that his elementary school was a quiet and solemn place that went to great lengths to create a calm and controlled environment.

Big dog and little dog going for a walk