New Releases by Paul Gilligan

Pluto Rocket and Joe Pidge jet off to the moon (and beyond!) in the fourth book of this hilarious early graphic novel series, for fans of Narwhal and Jelly and Pizza and Taco! Joe Pidge, king of the neighborhood, and Pluto Rocket, an alien who's new in town, have left Earth for the moon in order to convince Pluto's three dads that she didn't go to Earth at all. Her dads believe Earthlings aren't nice, so she's banned from visiting. But interstellar hijinks ensue! The two friends accidentally land on an asteroid, thinking it's the moon — and in trying to convince poor Joe that outer space isn't scary, Pluto ends up breaking the asteroid in two! Later, the duo meet the lone resident of the moon, Moon Man Moe, who is obsessed with golf and fulfilling his dream of landing a hole in one . . . in a moon crater. And finally, when Pluto's dads arrive, the gang has to convince them that Earthlings are, in fact, nice — but an unexpected visitor, a certain orange rabbit, causes a world of trouble in the fourth book of this hilarious graphic novel series by Paul Gilligan, creator of the syndicated comic strip Pooch Café!

Pluto Rocket and Joe Pidge return with a blast in the third book of this hilarious new early graphic novel series, for fans of Narwhal and Jelly and Pizza and Taco! Joe Pidge, king of the neighborhood, and Pluto Rocket, an alien who's new in town, have left the safety of Joe's neighborhood to discover other places on Earth for Pluto's secret mission — to explore the planet and prove that Earthlings are nice. But Joe is way out of his comfort zone! What starts as a casual walk into a new town turns into a high-speed chase as Joe is convinced the duo is being pursued by a wolf (it's really a poodle). Later, Pluto's habit of helping people leads to the two being celebrated as heroes! But when their publicity makes its way back to Pluto's home planet, Joe and Pluto have to find a way to escape to the moon . . . and fast, in the third book of this hilarious graphic novel series from Paul Gilligan, creator of the syndicated comic strip Pooch Café!

A hilarious middle-grade graphic memoir about boyhood, toxic masculinity and a shark named Jaws. For fans of Guts and New Kid. In the summer of 1975, 10-year-old Paul Gilligan doesn't have a whole lot to worry about other than keeping his comic books untarnished, getting tennis balls off roofs and keeping up with the increasingly bold stunts of his best friend, David. And then Jaws comes to town. Suddenly everyone is obsessing over this movie about a shark ripping people to pieces. And if you haven't seen it, not only are you missing out, you're also kind of a wimp. Needless to say, Jaws leaves young Paul a cowering mess, and underlines the growing gap between him and David as well as the distance between where he stands and the world's expectations of a boy's "manliness." And when Jaws himself becomes a kind of macho Jiminy Cricket for Paul, what is a scared and overwhelmed boy to do?

Pluto Rocket and Joe Pidge are back, with more hats and hijinks than ever before, in the second book of this hilarious new early graphic novel series, for fans of Narwhal and Jelly and Pizza and Taco! Joe Pidge, king of the neighborhood, and Pluto Rocket, an alien who's new in town, have become fast friends, with Joe acting as Pluto's guide on her secret mission to discover what life in the neighborhood is really like. But on Joe's tour (where he shows Pluto the best fire escape and the best garbage can in the world!), it becomes clear that Joe has never actually left his tiny slice of the planet . . . Pluto encourages Joe to get out of his comfort zone, but Joe delays by creating an outlandish list of supplies they'll need to get before they go! Is Joe Pidge afraid of leaving his safe little neighborhood? And if that's tough, imagine how Joe feels when his hat, his trademark super-flavio look that helps him stand out from the other pigeons, goes missing. Thankfully, Pluto is here to help save the day in the second book of this hilarious graphic novel series from Paul Gilligan, creator of the syndicated comic strip Pooch Café!

Meet Pluto Rocket, a friendly alien, and Joe Pidge, a wise-cracking pigeon, in the first book of this hilarious new early graphic novel series, for fans of Narwhal and Jelly and Pizza and Taco! Joe Pidge, not just a pigeon but also the stylish king of the neighborhood, is bobbing his way down the street one day when, all of a sudden, Pluto Rocket enters the scene. It turns out, Pluto is from another planet, and is disguising herself for her secret mission — to find out what life in the neighborhood is really like. Lucky for Pluto, Joe Pidge has seen it all before, eaten it all before, and pooped on it all before, so he takes her under his wing and the two become fast friends. But Joe is the one who actually learns a thing or two and whose mind is blown by the out-of-this-world Pluto in this hilarious graphic novel series from Paul Gilligan, creator of the syndicated comic strip Pooch Café!

A new threat has oozed onto the scene in Book 2 of this hilarious middle grade series by Paul Gilligan starring Doug, King of the underworld. " The Wimpy Kid's got nothing on the King of the Mole People—he's got more laughs and more mud." — Kirkus Reviews Doug Underbelly has quit being King of the Mole People. No more Slug, Stone, Mole or Mushrooms underlings, no more skirmishes, no more diplomacy. The only thing standing between him and normality is the creaky old graveyard mansion he lives in with his weirdness-loving dad. But the universe isn't letting Doug go without a fight. First he's forced to manage cleanup crews and dance committees, then a whole new breed of Slugs start to revolt. It seems the more Doug tries to get out, the deeper he gets dragged in. Can Doug restore order and finally reach his dream of just being normal? Maybe, but he'll have to take it one Slug egg at a time. Christy Ottaviano Books

Paul Gilligan's smart and funny illustrated middle grade series stars Doug, King of the Mole People, who struggles to balance chaos both in school and in the underworld. "The Wimpy Kid's got nothing on the King of the Mole People—he's got more laughs and more mud."— Kirkus Reviews Doug Underbelly is doing his best to be normal. It's not easy: he's bad at jokes, he's lousy at sports, and he lives in a creaky old mansion surrounded by gravestones. Also Magda, the weird girl at school, won't leave him alone. And if that weren't enough, he recently got crowned King of an underground race of Mole People. Doug didn't ask to be king—it's a job he can't really avoid, like the eel sandwiches his dad makes for him (with love). If he thought dealing with seventh grade was tricky, it's nothing compared to navigating the feud between Mole People, Slug People, Mushroom Folk and Stone Goons, not to mention preventing giant worms from rising up and destroying everything. How will Doug restore order? It's all a matter of diplomacy! Christy Ottaviano Books

This book explores how parents can connect with their children and become more emotionally healthy adults. Drawing on over twenty-five years' experience of working with children and teenagers, Paul Gilligan provides parents with practical information on

Poncho: Year One is a graphic novel depicting the hilarious first year of puppyhood of the acerbic, self-serving, and much put-upon Poncho from the internationally syndicated comic strip Pooch Café. Drawn from the daily strips 15-month-long storyline, (with substantial new material added to flesh out the tale), we follow Poncho from the womb (literally -- lined up in last place behind his siblings), through his introduction to hamburgers and the other wonders of the world, to dealing with his new master's betrothal to a "crazy cat lady." Ever want to know what's going on in your puppy's mind? Here are all the answers.

Recognizing a need for puberty education books for younger children, award-winning author Lynda Madaras published Ready, Set, Grow!: A "What's Happening to My Body?" Book for Younger Girls in 2003 to widespread acclaim. Now, in her uniquely straightforward, warm, and funny style, Madaras introduces On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow!: A "What's Happening to My Body?" Book for Younger Boys. Responding to real-life questions and concerns from younger boys about their changing bodies, Madaras covers a wide range of topics at a reading and understanding level that's just right for them: the growth of sex organs, body hair, and facial hair; weight and height spurts; the unwelcome appearance of acne and body odor; shaving; circumcision; erections and ejaculation; feelings about puberty; and bullying.

It points out the potential risks for children, and how parents can protect their children against abuse and trauma.

Sit on the couch. Speak. Engage in witty banter and share ideas with friends who really understand your predicaments. Sounds like the perfect cafe. Especially if you're a dog. Pooch Cafe is the home away from home for Poncho and his canine buddies. No Collar, No Service marks the second collection of the hip hit strip Pooch Cafe, named for the place where Poncho, Boomer, and the rest of their pals regularly gather to discuss life among the humans and to hatch their plans to catapult all the world's cats into space. But you won't find this spot on Main Street. Its actual location is a canine secret compromised just once when they tried to get a pizza delivered. Poncho is as passionate about his love for his master, Chazz, as he is about his distaste for kitties. When Poncho and Chazz move in with Carmen and her medley of cats, Poncho pals up with "Fish," a goldfish who conveniently speaks dog, to learn the lay of the land. Poncho views his master's new life as a threat to the sacred man-dog bond, despite Carmen's efforts to make peace with Poncho using love, tenderness, and cheese. Good thing there's always the gang at the cafe. No Collar, No Service is the saga of a strip that captures the intensity of the human-dog bond in a way that resonates with pet lovers everywhere.

When Poncho's beloved master Chazz marries cat lover Carmen and forces them to move in with her and her feline brood, Poncho's world is shaken to the core.