I have a 7 year old who is graduating to the next level of books and this is a perfect way for him to do it. I'll explain:
First of all, he's been obsessed with Dogman by the same author Dav Pilkey. That is great series because it's more of a comic book than a real book and he can get through it in 15 minutes or so (more if he's acting out the scenes or concentrating on the illustrations). But he really loved Captain Underpants the show/movie because there's multiple episodes to watch. I bought him all the Capt Underpants books, including this one, but he held off on it because it was "too many words". I kept asking him if he wanted to read it and he finally agreed to give it a shot.
Now, he can't put them all down, including this one. He goes VERY quiet for about an hour or so as he concentrates on the words and has to finish it up in a sitting. That's because these are stories with illustrations rather than the other way around. It's a great way to upgrade his skills while still keeping in a universe he enjoys.
For this book, it's typical grade school potty humor. The worst words are the typical 'potty words' that he was forbidden to say in preschool and K. Now a 1st grader, he's realizing he can say them without getting into trouble. I'd rather him spend his time reading something interesting than controlling every aspect of what that subject matter is. It's about 300 pages but a lot of it is illustrations. Still, I would say the words fill about a third of a non-illustrated book (or 100 pages), and that's a lot for a kid.
And to be honest, the stuff is funny. The kids in the story flip the script on the 'mean old principal' Mr. Krupp by literally snapping their fingers and getting him to do whatever they want. It's wish fulfillment on controlling what can't in their world, and it's funny having him turn into a lovable doofus that can fly in his underwear. Parents are absent, but there are many teachers/students who all have quirks. There is usually a huge fantastical element as well. Dav Pilkey really has the pulse on how kids think, namely they want to have great adventures and have control where they can't usually.
And none of the story is really mean spirited. For example, who the kids think is a big bully and they fear the most is really an intellectual and super sweet. The girls range from hair-obsessed to super smart. The bad guys are usually temporarily made that way, or centered around just a few characters.
I highly recommend it if your child is having trouble making that change to chapter books from illustrations or picture books. Or they just want a fun story for road trips. The artwork is fine for their taste and not ornate in any way.
