Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School

Ike LaRue is a dog who writes letters to his owner from obedience school, where she has sent him after complaints about his behavior. Through his correspondence, he attempts to convince Mrs. LaRue to bring him back home. The story contrasts Ike's dramatic black-and-white descriptions of his experiences with colorful illustrations that show what is actually happening at the school. His letters contain complaints about the food, accommodations, and strict rules, while painting a picture of himself as completely innocent of any wrongdoing. This epistolary picture book explores themes of perspective, truth-telling, and the bond between pets and their owners. The parallel storytelling through text and images creates opportunities for young readers to discuss the nature of honesty and point of view.

Parents and teachers report that children request repeated readings of this book. Readers highlight the humor in the contrast between Ike's dramatic letters and the reality shown in the illustrations. Many note that the black-and-white vs. color artwork helps kids understand the difference between Ike's exaggerated perspective and actual events. Readers liked: - Split illustrations that show both truth and fiction - Opportunity to teach children about point of view - Letter format makes it engaging for elementary students - Appeals to both adults and children Readers disliked: - Some found the letter format repetitive - A few mentioned the vocabulary might be challenging for younger children Ratings: Goodreads: 4.17/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (280+ ratings) Common reader comment: "The illustrations tell the real story while the letters tell another - kids love catching the dog in his lies."

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin Barnyard animals write letters to Farmer Brown to communicate their demands for better working conditions.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems A pigeon uses multiple persuasive tactics through direct communication with readers in an attempt to drive a bus.

I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff A boy exchanges letters with his mother to convince her to let him have a pet iguana.

10 Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break if You Want to Survive the School Bus by John Grandits A first-time school bus rider creates rules based on his imagined scenarios of what could go wrong during the ride.

Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman Each child in the Peters family writes notes to their mother requesting specific foods, leading to kitchen chaos.

🐾 Author Mark Teague both wrote and illustrated this book, creating the humorous contrast between Ike's dramatic black-and-white letters and the colorful reality of his pleasant stay at obedience school. 🐾 The story is told entirely through letters, making it an excellent example of epistolary narrative for young readers. 🐾 The book spawned two popular sequels: "Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation" and "LaRue for Mayor: Letters from the Campaign Trail." 🐾 The main character, Ike LaRue, was inspired by Mark Teague's own dog, who had a tendency to get into mischief around the neighborhood. 🐾 The book cleverly teaches perspective and point of view by showing how Ike exaggerates his situation, comparing his obedience school experience to prison while the illustrations reveal a much more luxurious reality.