Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School

Module 2, SLIS 5420

Summary

Ike is a dog that has been sent to obedience school for eating his owner's food, chasing cats, howling when left alone, and dragging his owner, Mrs. LaRue roughly through the streets which tore her favorite camel's hair coat. Ike hates obedience school and being away from his owner. He sends her letters describing his "suffering" and vows to escape. He returns home in time to save Mrs. LaRue from being run over by a truck full of cat food and becomes a local hero.

Bibliographic Information

Teague, Mark. Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School. Scholastic Press, 2002. ISBN: 0-439-20663-4

My Thoughts

This a picture book for older children. It is very funny and the story is endearing. The story mostly takes place in the form of Ike's letters home to Mrs. LaRue. He complains about everything. The artwork serves to tell two versions of the story. In black and white, the reader sees an exaggerated version of the horror's Ike believes he is suffering. At the same time, at wider focus, the reader sees Ike's actual experiences in color, and it is obvious from them he is well-treated, even pampered. The ironic differences between the two visual versions of the story are delicious! The prose is more dense than that you would find in books for younger children and it is appropriate for older kids. Parents and children alike should enjoy studying the differences in the words of the story and the two opposing sets of illustrations.

Reviews

K-Gr. 3. Ike LaRue, "loyal and misunderstood" dog, is off to prison. Well, actually, it's obedience school, but that's not the way Ike sees the Canine Academy. In letters home, Ike details just what his owner is putting him through. The hilarious juxtaposition between the letters and what's actually happening in Ike's life is the fun here. He begins the correspondence by covering old grievances: "You could have said, 'Ike, don't eat the chicken pie'...would that have been so difficult?" Then it's time for a catalog of horrors: "Day after day I'm forced to perform the most meaningless tasks. Today it was 'sit' and 'roll over,' all day long." Or, "I felt queasy so that I could barely eat dinner "except for the yummy gravy...I must come home at once." The wonderfully arch text is matched with Teague's sly pictures--the action in the letters appears in somber gray washes while Ike's true circumstances are brightly colored. And why shouldn't the real thing be bright: Ike dines at cloth-covered tables and escapes his "prison" in a bright yellow taxi. He does make it home, just in time to push his owner out of the way as a truck barrels in her direction. Ike is a hero! Good story, well told and delightfully illustrated.
Cooper, Ilene. Booklist. November 1, 2002.

K-Gr 2 - Ike is one bad dog, so it's off to the Brotweiler Canine Academy, school for errant pooches. The dog has been known to steal food, chase the neighbor's cats, and destroy clothing. From school, Ike writes home to his person, Gertrude LaRue. Black -and-white illustrations portray the canine's version of his confinement, while splashes of color show the reality. According to Ike, it's a real prioson at the academy; he's even got the striped outfit to prove it. In reality, he is lodged at a virtual doggy resort and spa, complete tih sauna, pool, and gourmet eats. In his letters, the pooch begs to come home, and offers up a defense of his so-called crimes. After a month of such harsh-uh, plush-treatment, Ike manages to escape, and fortunately for Mrs. LaRue, he arrives back in town just as she is about to be run over by an oncoming delivery truck. Ike saves her, and is the hero of the day. The humorous acrylic illustrations are, at times, a howl and the oversized format is well-suited for storytelling. Despite the dogs ex machina, charming Ike will likely find a home in many picture-book collections.
Burg, Roxanne. School Library Journal. September 1, 2002.

Awards

Book Sense Book of the Year: Children's Illustrated
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Young Readers Category 2002
Charlotte Award, New York: Primary (Grades K-2)
Grand Canyon Reader Award, Arizona: Picture Book

Suggestions for Use in Library

This would be a good choice for introducing the subject of irony by contrasting what Ike says is happening to him, with the black and white illustrations exaggerating his descriptions as opposed to the reality shown in full color. It might also be useful to examine Ike's excuses for his behavior. Are they likely to help or should he have apologized?