Dav Pilkey's 'Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder' is Global Bestseller
The bestselling Dog Man graphic novel series by author and illustrator Dav Pilkey powers up to the #1 spot with Dog Man: The Scarlett Shedder topping bestseller lists worldwide.
The newest title in the global publishing phenomenon is the #1 bestselling book overall (children’s and adult books combined) for its first week of on-sale in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and is the #1 bestselling children’s book in the U.K. The Scarlet Shedder also swept the top spots on North American bestseller lists including USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Indie Bound, Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, and The Globe and Mail. According to Circana Bookscan which tracks 85% of U.S. trade print books sold,
The Scarlet Shedder sold more than a quarter of a million print copies in its first week of on-sale in the U.S. alone. In Australia and New Zealand, sales for The Scarlet Shedder grew 9% compared to the previous Dog Man book, and in Canada, sales are trending 10% higher. In the U.K., as reported by The Bookseller, “first week sales for The Scarlet Shedder were 48% higher” than for the last Dog Man installment, making it “the most successful hardback release for the series in recent times.”
Ellie Berger, President of Scholastic Trade, said “The growth of Dog Man is extraordinary. Not only have we seen robust sales with the release of The Scarlet Shedder, we also saw a 25% increase in backlist sales for Dog Man in the U.S. With our Dog Man ‘Power Up’ campaign, we have been working closely with retailers and our international publishing partners to make this book release a global publishing event–bringing excitement to bookstores, libraries, schools, and communities everywhere. This is a testament to the incredible appeal and influence of Dav Pilkey’s books with their trademark humor and heart. We are thrilled to see the enthusiasm for the series continue to grow worldwide.”
Since the series launched to critical acclaim seven years ago, Dog Man has more than 60 million copies in print to date and has been translated into 47 languages. In Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder, the twelfth book in the series, Dav Pilkey delves into the world of artificial intelligence and introduces A.I. robot villains while making a gripping and comical commentary about the impact of social media.
With nonstop adventure featuring fan favorite characters, the story also explores the enduring power of love. The last book in the Dog Man series, Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, released in March of last year, was the #1 bestselling children’s book overall of 2023 in the U.S. Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation announced that the Dog Man movie will be released in theaters worldwide in January 2025. Scholastic also recently announced its “Power Up with Reading” collaboration with Little Free Library which will grant Dog Man-themed Little Free Libraries book-sharing boxes to children and families in underserved communities in all 50 states, with Dav Pilkey donating 50,000 books to support the initiative. Pilkey’s Cat Kid Comic Club series, a spin-off of Dog Man which launched in December 2020, is also a #1 bestseller with translations in 26 languages to date.