Les aventures du capitaine Bobette

tim0706 - Tralalalalal-alalalalala-lalalala! Ah, Captain Underpants. The answer to the age old question of what to give boys who hate to read but are being forced to by somebody, whether a teacher or a relative or someone else entirely. There's something about Captain Underpants that is irresistible to a certain kind of boy or girl. I think it may have something to do with the combination of its comic book format, deeply silly plotlines, and the overall packaging. Whatever it is, when I'm at the children's desk of the library, I always look for this section. "I guess you can take it out... just so long as you don't own it" under their breath. For my own part, I wanted to see what all the fuss and folderol was about. What is it about Captain Underpants that leaves kids always wanting more? Whens its popularity? The first book that started it all is none other than "The Adventures of Captain Underpants", so I plucked it from a shelf and sat down to give it a good once over. A complete reading took roughly 30 minutes, if that. And my conclusion? For though we could probably talk back and forth for hours and hours about the relative merits of reading every single Captain Underpants creation, the fact of the matter is that the book is harmless fun. This is a popcorn book. It's light and fluffy and delightful. Just the kind of inane gibberish that'll lure kids to reading and keep them there. Its value is in its good natured humor and light-hearted storylines. It's not classy. It's just fun.