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Grampa's pure-hearted cellmate in Cat Jail. Sometimes he moonlights as a superhero named Commander Cupcake. At long last, Dr. Scum discovers a weakness of Dog Man's to exploit, and tailors his latest criminal invention to do just that. His mechanized "Burgle Balls" terrorize the citizenry, stealing a fortune in jewelry and other expensive wares. Dog Man will have to battle his own canine nature to stop Dr. Scum, but he won't have to go it alone. Li'L Petey (aka Cat Kid) and 80-HD (Lightning Dude) are at his side, warriors for justice to aid the "Bark Knight". The Burgle Balls can't overcome all three, but Dr. Scum has a contingency plan: his Colossal-Bot 2000, a four-armed behemoth that could crush the city beneath its feet. Can the Bark Knight, Cat Kid, and Lightning Dude defeat this new foe? Maybe if Petey joins the fight, affirming his commitment to change his ways for the kid's sake. Whether or not Petey's father can be reformed, Petey has the choice from this day forward to set an example for Li'L Petey by opposing his own darker urges. Has he truly turned good? We'll find out as the series moves forward. What do you get from sewing the head of a smart dog onto the body of a tough police officer? A new superhero from the incorrigible creator of Captain Underpants. Seven books into the Dog Man series, one could hardly blame Dav Pilkey if the concept were starting to get stale, but that isn't the case. For Whom the Ball Rolls is the best Dog Man yet, a delightful mixture of humor, emotion, and profound thought. Ever since book three, A Tale of Two Kitties, the titles have been clever parodies of classic literature, featuring stories that frequently reference other works by the highlighted author; For Whom the Ball Rolls introduces kids to the stylings of Ernest Hemingway. Petey the Cat has been Dog Man's nemesis since book one, but his allegiances are shifting. This is because of Li'L Petey, the clone Petey created of himself so he could cause twice as much havoc. But Li'L Petey is a child, unjaded by the experiences that hardened Petey into a criminal. He often pleads with his "Papa" to resist doing evil, and this came to a head in the previous book, Brawl of the Wild, when Petey helped apprehend the villain and save the day. He remains in Cat Jail for past crimes, but that could change as public support sways in Petey's favor. Does he deserve a clean slate?
It's Big Jim's birthday, and the warden gave him a lot of balloons. He gives one to Tippy, Fluffy, and Mr. Whiskers. He tries to give Petey a balloon, but Petey pops it with his claw, making Big Jim cry. Petey tries to make Big Jim happy, but Big Jim tells him to go away. Petey finally makes Big Jim happy when he claims that he got Big Jim a present, which he buried in the jail yard litter box, and will hold Big Jim's balloons while Big Jim digs it up. Unknown to Big Jim, Petey flies away with Big Jim's balloons, and Big Jim only finds poop in the litter box. When the robber throws the ball and Chief's clothes fall off going POW!, this is a reference to the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, when Charlie Brown gets hit by a fly ball on the pitcher's mound.When Grampa calls Li'l Petey a "jabberjaw", it is a reference to the Hanna-Barbera character of the same name. Yes, yes I did. I made my students wait for this book until I had a chance to read it. Because I know after we start passing it from reader to reader I might not see it again until November. And I'm just going to say to the graphic novel haters and those who can't stand the fact that their kids/students read Dog Man books over and over again...read one. Better yet, read the whole series. These books are so good that they are WORTH reading again and again! Big Jim often will try to make Petey and Grampa laugh, though he is never funny. He appears to not be very bright, doing many things that are annoying. He is also blubbery, and will burst into tears if someone yells at him. He was invited to breakfast by Lil' Petey and 80-HD, much to Petey's dismay. He said to Petey that he "had a nice place" before proceeding to break the dishes, saying it was Petey's fault they got broken. Later, when his son & grandson left, he took all their belongings and attempted to sell them. He was later caught and taken to jail. Kid comic creators George Beard and Harold Hutchins (now with added maturity!) are thrilled to present readers with the next installment of their co-written graphic-novel series.
The following versions of the books were used to create this study guide: Pilkey, Dave, Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls and Dog Man: Fetch-22. Scholastic Inc. New York, New York, 2019. Kindle AZW file.Grampa has a ginger striped body with a complete tail, unlike Petey. He has 6 whiskers (he pulled one off in Dog Man: Fetch-22 when he switched places with his son, which he now has 5), a stubble from a shaved beard, and his skin color is slightly darker than Petey, to show his age and distinguish him from his son. He also wears a pair of round glasses. While Dog Man is struggling with his fear, the flea-sized villains Piggy, Bub, and Crunky are working on plans of their own. Piggy tries to steal the famous Hope Mood Ring while Bub and Crunky hypnotize Big Jim, making him into a new super hero, Commander Cupcake. While Dog Man and the others battle the various villains, Commander Cupcake bumbles onto the various scenes just in time to get credit for solving all the crimes.
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