The Library of Congress will host Dav Pilkey, the No. 1 worldwide bestselling author and acclaimed illustrator of the global phenomenon “Dog Man” on Wednesday, Jan. 29 starting at 5:30 p.m. During this event, Pilkey will discuss his newest book, Dog Man: Big Jim Begins and talk about how books bring people together and help kids develop empathy and compassion.

Following the author talk will be a sneak peek clip from DreamWorks Animation’s feature film, Dog Man, coming to theaters Jan. 31. Families can also enjoy a range of interactive experiences, including a meet-and-greet with Pilkey, photo opportunities with the Dog Man costume character, a create-your-own comics station, and a variety of fun activities for kids and families to enjoy in the Great Hall.

This event kicks off Pilkey’s global tour, “Celebrating Heroes Around the World.” 

Ticketing Information
Free tickets to the event can be obtained at loc.gov/events. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for all activities. Each ticket holder will have access to Dog Man activities, custom Dog Man cookies, and a meet-and-greet with Pilkey. A limited number of add-on tickets are available to see the 6:30 p.m. program with Pilkey in the Coolidge Auditorium on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once those tickets are all reserved, the Library will indicate that they are sold out on the event page on loc.gov/events. A limited waitlist to see the program will be available on the day of the event.

Meet and Greet Information
All ticket holders will be eligible to meet Pilkey during a meet and greet starting at 7:15 p.m. Please note that participants will be allowed to line up starting at 7 p.m. Each ticket holder will receive a free copy of “Dog Man: Big Jim Begins.” Additional books will be available for purchase near the Coolidge Auditorium starting at 5:30 p.m. on the day of the event. To ensure that all attendees can be accommodated, no books from home can be signed. 

Dav Pilkey and the Library of Congress
During the pandemic lockdown, Pilkey, in collaboration with the Library of Congress and Scholastic, launched “Dav Pilkey at Home,” a weekly series of free videos created by Pilkey and posted online to encourage kids to be creative and to keep reading at home. The playlist of Pilkey’s “how to draw” and “read aloud” videos are archived on the Library of Congress’s website at loc.gov/engage.

For nearly four decades, Pilkey’s books have been inspiring and igniting kids’ passion for reading. Published by Scholastic, the Dog Man series follows the hilarious adventures of the “Supa Buddies” — Dog Man, a lovable canine superhero, and his friends Li’l Petey, a curious kitten who embodies love, optimism and hope, and 80-HD, a robot who expresses himself best through his art. With Pilkey’s trademark humor and heart, the Dog Man series celebrates creativity and imagination and explores universally positive messages including the importance of doing good and striving to become a better version of one’s self, while it also tackles more complex themes including loss, redemption and forgiveness. Since it launched to critical acclaim in 2016, the Dog Man series has more than 60 million books in print, has been translated into 47 languages, and earned a place among the bestselling graphic novel series of all time.