- Graphic Novels
- Ages 9–12
- Comedy
The Unpetables: Unpetable in the City
Book 2 in The UnpetablesView the full series
Pigmund and Lizardo step off the bus into BIG CITY CITY and stumble on a crazy old movie theatre packed with secrets. A second helping of fast, silly diary-and-comics mayhem from Dennis Messner.
- Best for9–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length108 pp
- Read aloud~51 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.
The freelance-pet life takes Pigmund and Lizardo somewhere new: off a bus and straight into the chaos of BIG CITY CITY. In their second hilarious adventure the two best friends discover a crazy old movie theatre that turns out to be full of secrets, and, this being The Unpetables, one mystery quickly tumbles into another. Dennis Messner keeps the winning formula that made the first book a reluctant-reader hit: giddy paper-plate diary entries spliced with fast black-and-white comics, jokes on every page, and a retro comic-strip sensibility that nods to the classic humour comics of decades past. Bigger, busier and every bit as silly as its predecessor, Unpetable in the City sends its odd-couple heroes racing through a strange new world while their friendship holds the whole madcap show together. Kirkus praised the series' 'hog wild hilarity,' and this outing doubles down on the gags without losing the warmth. A perfect next step for fans of Dog Man, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and InvestiGators, and catnip for any child who thinks they don't like books.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A fast, funny graphic novel for 9-12s reading independently, with strong pull for reluctant readers from around 8. Energetic and silly but low-peril and gentle in content, it is built for page-turning, not bedtime.
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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
- 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
The freelance pets hit BIG CITY CITY and find a spooky old movie theatre stuffed with secrets, so there is a mystery to chase between all the gags. The diary-and-comics pages zip by and there is a laugh on nearly every one.
- Adventure and freedom
- Breaking the rules safely
- Friendship and belonging
- Being a detective
Why parents love it
The same fast diary-and-comics format that pulls in reluctant readers, now with a city mystery to power the pages. Retro comic wit for the grown-up in the room, a warm friendship at its core, and content that stays firmly gentle.
- 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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