- Graphic Novels
- Ages 6–10
- Comedy
Dog Man: Fetch-22
Book 8 of 14 in Dog ManView the full series
Impossible problems and the Supa Buddies at full strength. Fetch-22 is the most ensemble-forward book in the run so far, every main character gets their moment, and deepens the Petey and Cat Kid family storyline in ways that carry through to the later books.
- Best for6–10
- FormatGraphic
- Length224 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr45 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
- Onomatopoeic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Exciting
- Absurdist
- Heartwarming
- Irreverent
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
The Catch-22 pun of the title signals a plot structured around impossible dilemmas, Dog Man must do something he can't do to achieve something that depends on his doing it, worked through the series' usual high-energy slapstick. The ensemble cast is fully operational now, with Dog Man, Cat Kid, Petey, and 80-HD each getting distinct action and comedy. The family dynamics between Petey and Cat Kid continue to develop, providing the emotional grounding that increasingly makes the action feel meaningful rather than purely frenetic. The science-fiction elements (robots, impossible gadgets) are more prominent here than in the books immediately preceding it. A confident mid-run entry that consolidates what the series does best.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 6–10
- Read aloud · 5–8
- Independent · 6–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Reluctant readers
- Laugh out loud
- Strong characters
- Gift book
Avoid if
No common reasons to avoid this one — a rare clean sweep on the sensitivity flags.
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
- Neurodiversity or learning differences
- Making friends
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A reluctant-reader powerhouse: fast, funny and endlessly re-read — the kind of book that turns a non-reader into a reader. A classroom-library staple, not a teaching text.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific satisfaction is Petey-as-dad — a former villain finally let out of jail, awkwardly trying to live a normal life with Cat Kid. A seven-year-old who's been following Petey's slow-redemption arc since book three gets the payoff they've been quietly waiting for. The Supa Buddies subplot is the silliest yet.
- Breaking the rules safely
- Making a difference
- Surviving danger
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
The Dog Man where Petey's redemption arc finally pays off — a seven-year-old who's been following him since book three gets the warm-feeling moment they've been quietly waiting for. Best read after volumes three to seven, when a child already cares. Still gross enough to satisfy the kid who came for the toilet jokes.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Conversation starter
In the series
Dog Man.
14 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Dav Pilkey.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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