- Graphic Novels
- Ages 9–12
- Comedy
The Unpetables
Book 1 in The UnpetablesView the full series
Pigmund the pig and Lizardo the iguana grew up in a petting zoo and have had ENOUGH. They break out to become 'freelance pets' with one unbreakable rule: NO MORE PETTING. A fast, funny diary-and-comics romp for fans of Dog Man and Wimpy Kid.
- Best for9–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length88 pp
- Read aloud~41 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Epistolary
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Adventurous
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Pigmund Isadore Pigmund is a pig who grew up in Uncle Milo's All-Natural Petting Zoo, writing his life story on paper plates. His best friend, Lizardo Van Buren Van Halen, is an iguana born in the very same place. After one too many sticky-fingered strangers, the two declare themselves THE UNPETABLES, available for temporary work as freelance pets, with a single non-negotiable rule: NO MORE PETTING. So begins a madcap escape by train and chickens, with Maintenance Man Kenny hot on their trail and a wide-open world of freelance opportunity ahead. Told in a giddy mix of paper-plate diary entries and black-and-white comics, Dennis Messner's debut has the fast, silly, keep-turning energy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dog Man and Timmy Failure, with a retro comic-strip sensibility all its own. Kirkus calls it 'hog wild hilarity.' Beneath the gags is a genuinely warm story about friendship, freedom and deciding who you want to be, an irresistible hook for reluctant readers and comics fans alike.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A fast, funny graphic novel for 9-12s reading independently, with strong appeal for reluctant readers from around 8. High-energy and silly but low-peril and gentle in content, it is a page-turner rather than a bedtime read.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Reluctant readers
- Comic fans
- Fans of wimpy kid
- Silly humour
Avoid if
- Wants gentle quiet story
- Wants realistic fiction
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
A pig and an iguana who write on paper plates, break out of a petting zoo using chickens and a train, and set up as freelance pets with one rule: NO MORE PETTING. The diary-plus-comics format flies by and every page has a gag.
- Adventure and freedom
- Breaking the rules safely
- Friendship and belonging
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
The fast diary-and-comics format that hooks Wimpy Kid and Dog Man fans, with a retro comic-strip wit adults will clock too. Under the hog-wild silliness is a warm story about friendship and choosing your own path, and it is a brilliant gift for a child who says they hate reading.
- Shared humour
- Nostalgia
- Indie gem discovery
- Quick to read
In the series
The Unpetables.
3 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Dennis Messner.
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