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If they loved Dog Man

Books like Dog Man

Funny, fast, mostly full colour comics for the child who has read every Dog Man twice and wants more.

15 booksAges 5–11See the Dog Man seriesLast reviewed June 2026

If your child has read every Dog Man twice and is tapping a foot for more, the good news is that Dav Pilkey opened a door a lot of other cartoonists have since walked through. These are funny, fast, mostly full colour comics and comic-style chapter books with the same engine: short chapters, big art, a joke every few panels, and heroes who are usually an animal, a robot, or something invented by accident.

We've ordered them roughly closest to Dog Man outwards: the anarchic animal capers first, then the daft sci-fi, then gentler or younger options for a sibling coming up behind. Every one points to the book to start with, not a later volume. All are kind to a reader who'd rather look at pictures than wade through prose, and none will feel like a step down after Dog Man.

  1. The Bad Guys

    The closest cousin of all: scary-looking animals trying very hard to be good, with the same short chapters and a joke on every page. Start with book one here.

  2. InvestiGators

    Mango and Brash are alligator agents for SUIT, the Special Undercover Investigation Team, whose headquarters is in the sewers and whose gadgets are built into their actual suits. A kidnapped baker, a mystery to solve, and a pun on every page. Green's comedic timing in panel form is impeccable.

  3. Cat Kid Comic Club

    Pilkey himself: the Dog Man spin-off, all about making your own comics. The obvious next stop, and it often turns a reader into a maker.

  4. Bunny vs Monkey

    A riotously funny forest comic about Bunny trying to keep the peace after Monkey crash-lands and begins causing total mayhem. A near-perfect bridge from silly picture books into independent graphic-novel reading.

  5. The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza

    A gloriously daft sci-fi graphic novel about a bioengineered cat sent to save the moon from hungry space rats. It is fast, funny and very accessible for readers who like Dog Man, InvestiGators and big absurd visual jokes.

  6. Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth

    A fast, funny, big-hearted sci-fi graphic novel about an ordinary boy, a brilliant girl and a robot kid who crashes to Earth in his underwear. It is one of the strongest post-Dog Man gateways into longer, more story-driven graphic novels.

  7. Squirrel and Duck: Mission Improbable

    Written almost literally for Dog Man fans: an odd couple action comedy in the same highly illustrated style.

  8. Bird & Squirrel on the Run

    The setup is irresistible: a terrified squirrel and a recklessly optimistic bird thrown together by a cat chase. Bird & Squirrel on the Run is a perfect first graphic novel, high energy, very funny, and short enough to finish in one sitting.

  9. Kitty Quest

    A fast, daft, monster-slaying cat adventure that feels like a younger graphic-novel bridge between Dog Man, Bunny vs Monkey and fantasy quest stories. Excellent for reluctant readers who want jokes, monsters, maps, swords and very little friction.

  10. Agents of S.U.I.T.

    A very funny InvestiGators spin-off that opens up the wider S.U.I.T. agency beyond Mango and Brash. It is perfect for readers who want puns, animal agents, visual gags and fast-moving comic mysteries.

  11. Pablo and Splash

    A bright, very funny full-colour graphic novel about two opposite-personality penguin best friends accidentally time-travelling to the age of dinosaurs. It is a strong fit for Bunny vs Monkey, Dog Man and InvestiGators readers ready for a gentler but still zippy comic adventure.

  12. Max and Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island!

    Max discovers a hidden island full of talking animals and meets Chaffy, an immediately loveable creature who becomes his best friend. Jamie Smart's signature zany energy and expressive visuals make this the best new graphic novel series for reluctant readers.

  13. Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea!

    Gentler and a notch younger, good for a little sibling who wants in on the comics but isn’t ready for the chaos.

  14. Pizza and Taco: Who's the Best?

    The simplest, youngest start on the list: nearly wordless panels for a reader not long out of picture books.

  15. My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary

    Unashamed toilet humour. If the Flip-O-Rama and the silliest jokes were the real draw, this is the one.

How we choose these books

Every list here is shaped by hand. We begin from our catalogue’s structured data, age fit, tone, theme and reading load, then read back through the candidates and keep only the titles that genuinely belong, in an order that helps a child grow into the subject. Nothing is generated and left to stand; a person decides what stays.

Questions parents ask

What age are these books for?
The titles on this list suit roughly ages 5–11, though every child reads at their own pace; the age on each book is a guide, not a rule.
What should my child read after Dog Man?
Good next reads include The Bad Guys, InvestiGators, Cat Kid Comic Club, chosen here because they share what makes Dog Man work, matched by age and reading confidence.
How were these books chosen?
We start from our catalogue's structured data, age fit, tone, theme and reading load, then read back through the candidates by hand and keep only the ones that genuinely belong, ordered to help a child grow into the subject.

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