Mark Teague

Detective LaRue : letters from the investigation by Mark Teague, 2004

In Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School, 2002, Ike the dog wrote plaintive letters describing his life "behind bars." He hopes his owner, Mrs. LaRue, will come to rescue him from obedience school. The wonderful humor came from the clever story and illustrations. The reader can compare colorful reality with Ike's black and white point of view.

In his new book Ike is writing letters to Mrs. LaRue again while she is on vacation in Europe. This time he is a suspect in the disappearance of the Hibbins cats. Feeling completely misjudged, Ike mails his owner pleas and updates from the police station where he has been taken into custody. Forced to flee and on the lam, he attempts to solve the mystery of the cats' disappearance as well as a series of canary burglaries. Once again the detailed illustrations and articles from the Snort City Register/Gazette hold the key to the story and the laughs. This book is a very entertaining sequel. This is a must-read for fans of Ike!

If you would like to learn more about Mark Teague , here are some websites with interviews and information.
RIF's Interview with Mark Teague
Mark Teague talks about "Criticism" on the Children's Book Council site
Dear Mrs. LaRue matching game on Scholastic.com
Teague's illustrations of Audrey Wood books on Audreywood.com