Parents' Guide to

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Asian stereotypes mar Captain Underpants spin-off.

Book Dav Pilkey Humor 2010
The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 10+

More mature for reading level

I think it is great to have entertaining books for older elementary/middle school kids who struggle with reading. But why do librarians, teachers, and parents think Ook and Gluk and Captain Underpants are good for the early elementary set? So what they can read it? It just isn't appropriate. My disappointment with this series is that younger kids read it without understanding the silly grammatical errors (as well as the jokes). My kids are high readers and I want them to read things with correct grammar and spelling so that they are more likely to use it in their own writing. This would probably make a good cartoon or audio book, but it isn't great for early readers.
age 10+

sd2qfff

wdfqaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

This title has:

Great messages

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (6 ):

Th jokes in this silly graphic novel are right on target for the age. (For example, a billboard advertising "I drink delishous warm apple cider from Pitsburgh fruit juice company!!!" is zapped with a laser gun and changes to "I drink arm pit juice.") And readers will appreciate the "flip-o-ramas" that come with each chapter (flip pages back and forth to watch Lily the dinosaur vomit, for example).

But even through all the rowdiness, Ook and Gluk try to do good for their friends and the planet. And Ook begins a sweet romance with Lan, the daughter of his kung fu teacher, who agrees to become his caveman wife. However, due to what author Dav Pilkey called in a statement the book's "harmful racial stereotypes and passively racist imagery," he and the publisher pulled it from circulation in in March 2021.

Book Details

  • Author: Dav Pilkey
  • Genre: Humor
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
  • Publication date: August 10, 2010
  • Number of pages: 176
  • Last updated: July 9, 2015

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate