Reflections on the Eighth Week of Fall

   Over the years, I daydreamed of meeting Dav Pilkey to thank him for his books that delighted struggling readers: Captain Underpants; Ricky Ricotta; Dragon; The Hallo-Wiener; Dogzilla; and Dog Breath!: The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis. Saturday gave me that chance.

  At Loganberry Books in Cleveland, Ohio, a person inside a Captain Underpants balloon welcomed children and adults to a Dav Pilkey event. Dav held a microphone, showed photos, and said he'd had a happy childhood. Children giggled at the pictures of the preschool Dav. Adults groaned at the picture of the glum school-aged Dav. He said dyslexia and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Delightfulness) made learning to read difficult. He went home sad at the end of each day, but his mother encouraged him. “Something good may come from all the challenges.” She'd come to the event. Dav asked her to stand. Pride glowed through her loving smile. Everyone clapped.

  Continuing his story, Dav gave credit to his second grade teacher for the Captain Underpants idea. He'd drawn comics to manage his feelings in her class. His classmates liked them, but the teacher ripped them up and throw them away. One day she mentioned “underwear” which made Dav's classmates, and the children at the event, laugh. In a squeaky, complaining voice, Dav channelled the teacher's response, “Underwear is not funny.” His classmates laughed even harder, as did the children rolling on the floor at the event. The teacher banished Dav to the hall where he created a Captain Underpants comic strip. She ripped that too and said, “You'll never make a living writing silly books.” The second graders hadn't thought that was funny, but the event crowd roared.

  Dav now lives in Japan where he draws and writes on a beach. Sometimes monkeys come to watch, pick up his pens, and put them in their mouths. Children in the crowd mimicked the monkeys, but Dav isn't happy about the monkeys putting monkey juice on his pens. To get away, he paddles his kayak to a cave where he builds a fire and works without the monkeys. Adults aahed at the image of working in a cave away from distractions.

  In addition to his photo presentation, Dav gave everyone stickers and “Reading Gives You Super Powers” capes. He drew cartoons and asked children questions. “What are George and Harold's last names?” Children waved hands and Dav's Japanese friend selected a boy, who said, “George Beard and Harold Hutchins.” Dav gave the boy the cartoon sketch, a present, and a $100 gift certificate for Loganberry books. “Wow!” the youngster said. “I can buy ten books!” Dav kept drawing. Questions got harder. Children spouted answers and thanked Dav for the increasingly generous prizes. After he awarded the last one, he signed books.

  I waited in line between two moms, each with the first Captain Underpants book. The woman in front of me held her twenty-four year old son's original copy. The one in back had bought a new copy because her twenty year olds' copy was lost. My first copy had fallen apart years ago and ended in the trash. I held Dav's most recent book, One Today. Dav had drawn illustrations for the poem Richard Blanco wrote for President Barack Obama's 2013 Inauguration.

  A half hour later, I finally reached Dav's table and said, “I'm a retired teacher of children with learning challenges. Thank you for all your books that let them enjoy reading.”

  We chatted a bit. He signed my book and asked how I liked retirement.

  “I love it,” I said. “This book is a gift to the school where I volunteer.”

    Dav flashed a satisfied grin, handed me the book, and said, “Thank you.”