(New York, NY – July 9, 2019) – Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, launches “Do Good,” a campaign to encourage readers of all ages to give back and make a positive impact in their communities. Inspired by the characters and themes in the worldwide bestselling Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey, highlights from the initiative include a transcontinental book tour featuring events with a charitable component in multiple cities across the U.S. and Asia, where Dav Pilkey will be appearing at arenas, military bases, ballparks, theaters, schools, libraries, book fairs and festivals—including being a featured author at the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF).

“I feel incredibly lucky and excited to have the opportunity to meet readers across the country and around the world,” said Dav Pilkey. “I’m humbled and grateful for the support from booksellers, parents, and educators who are spreading the important message of doing good and bringing communities together to celebrate reading.”

“The Dog Man ‘Do Good’ campaign highlights the power of Dav Pilkey and his amazing ability to connect with readers. Dav’s on-going personal mission to give all kids access to books is inspiring. We are proud to be his longtime publisher and partner with him on this exciting new initiative.” said Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade. 

Summer 2019 kicks off an exciting year for Dav Pilkey and Dog Man, including the following noteworthy events:

Dog Man “Do Good” Global Tour:

Starting in August and continuing throughout the fall, Dav Pilkey’s “Do Good Tour” will bring together kids, families, and educators, to highlight the many ways books inspire—and how each individual can help others make a positive difference wherever they are. Hosted by bookstores and key community partners, all of the events will have a "do good" component to support non-profit literacy organizations, local charities, military families, schools as well as libraries in underserved areas. The "Do Good Tour” will officially kick-off at the Mississippi Book Festival in Jackson, Mississippi on August 17th.

While in Mississippi, Dav Pilkey will make an appearance before thousands of school children from Title 1 schools. The tour will continue in St. Louis, Missouri at the Chaifetz Arena on August 18th. Additional U.S. tour markets will be announced via Scholastic’s social media platforms throughout the summer. In addition to getting the opportunity to meet Dav Pilkey and hearing his inspiring story as a kid who struggled with ADHD and dyslexia, attendees at each family-friendly event will be treated to fun activities including photo opportunities with Dog Man and Captain Underpants costumed characters, signed books, giveaways, and more. Following the U.S. tour, Dav Pilkey will appear at the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), with additional stops in Hong Kong and Mumbai in November, and visits to Australia and Canada in 2020. For more information and details about the “Do Good” tour, visit www.scholastic.com/davpilkey.  

New Publishing:

Dav Pilkey’s wildly popular Dog Man series explores universal themes and positive messages including empathy, compassion, kindness, persistence, and being true to one’s self. The next installment in the series, Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls, delves into the importance of not just being good but doing good, and will be published simultaneously in the U.S., Canada, UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and across Asia on August 13, 2019. The series continues with Dog Man: Fetch-22 to be released on December 10, 2019. 

Dog Man: The Musical:

The expansion of the Dog Man brand continues with the world premiere of Dog Man: The Musical from TheaterWorksUSA which debuted at the Lucille Lortel Theater in New York City on June 28th and will run through August 4th. The musical will tour across North America starting in Fall 2019 and continue through 2020. TheaterWorksUSA, which has been a not-for-profit leader in producing theater for young and family audiences for over half a century, continues its legacy of doing good by providing more than 5,000 free tickets to New York City youth during the premiere run and offering subsidized tickets to communities in need throughout the tour. For more information about Dog Man: The Musical and its mission to reach underserved communities with exceptional theater, visit www.twusa.org.  

“Do Good” for Educators:

Scholastic, will partner with the American Library Association and ALA Graphics, also announced that the ALA READ poster and bookmark featuring original Dog Man artwork by Dav Pilkey with the message, “Be a Reading Supa-Buddy. Do Good,” will be available through the ALA store starting this month. As an added resource for educators, parents, and fans of Dav Pilkey’s books, Scholastic will launch a dedicated website, www.scholastic.com/davpilkey, an online hub that will provide access to free downloadable classroom activities, tour information, learn and share ideas on how students around the world are making a positive impact in their communities. 

About Dav Pilkey

Dav Pilkey is the author and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of The Paperboy. He is also the creator of over 60 books for children including Dragon, Dumb Bunnies, and Ricky Ricotta series, and the newly re-released picture book, Dog Breath. When Dav Pilkey was in second grade, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and what is now widely known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Because of his learning and behavioral issues in school, he was often sent out in the hallway by his teachers. It was in his elementary school hallway where Dav created comic books about superheroes that eventually became Dog Man and Captain Underpants.

About Dog Man and Captain Underpants 

With its trademark humor and heart, Dog Man launched in August 2016 to multiple starred reviews and was instant bestseller, appealing to kids and critics alike. The series has more than 23 million copies in print to date with translations in 32 languages. Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild, released on December 24, 2018 with a 5 million copy first printing, dominated both adult and children’s bestseller lists, and debuted at #1 overall on the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. 

Dog Man follows the adventures of a lovable canine superhero who’s part dog and part policeman. With each Dog Man book, readers see the growth and development of the main characters George and Harold through their comics. Their artwork, grammar, as well as their spelling improve as the series progresses. 

In a starred review, Publishers Weekly hailed Dog Man, “Readers (of any age) will be giggling from start to finish.” Booklist, in a starred review, said “Pilkey has once again fired an arrow of joy straight at the fevered childhood psyche of millions of readers…an utter, unfettered delight.” And Kirkus, also in a starred review, called Dog Man “riotously funny and original.” Dog Man follows the adventures of a lovable canine superhero who’s part dog and part policeman. 

USA Today has called Dav Pilkey “the savior of the reluctant reader.” His Captain Underpants series has more than 80 million copies in print worldwide and has been translated into more than 25 languages. In 2017, DreamWorks released the feature film adaptation of Captain Underpants featuring the voices of Kevin Hart (George Beard), Thomas Middleditch (Harold), and Ed Helms (Captain Underpants). Netflix announced that the third season of DreamWorks’ The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, an original television series inspired by the books, will premiere on July 19, 2019.

For more information about Dav Pilkey and his books, visit //mediaroom.scholastic.com/davpilkey

For more information about Scholastic, visit the Company’s media room at //mediaroom.scholastic.com. 

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Press Contact: 
Charisse Meloto, VP, Global Brand Publicity, cmeloto@scholastic.com 212-389-3785