Lesson Ideas
Mark Teague describes his creative process as a sort of discovery — he doodles and scribbles with no aim, and then things somehow begin to fit together. Encourage your students to make discoveries of their own as they tap into their artistic talents or learn more about Teague through an exploratory author study.

How to Join the Chat
Some school district filters prevent classrooms from entering chat rooms, so you may need to ask the district or your school's technical support staff to change the filter setting before this moderated chat. The Web address for the chat will be: http://community.scholastic.com/scholastic/chat?chat.id=mark_teague.

Please also note that if you are using a Mac, you will not be able to join the chat through Firefox. Instead, please use a different Web browser, such as Safari. If you are using a PC, you should be able to join the chat through any Web browser.

On the day of the chat, return to Mark Teague's Gateway Page. The current "Submit Questions Now" will change to a link to "Join the Chat." Follow that link to enter the chat room.

During the chat, type questions for Mark Teague into the text box at the bottom of the chat screen. To submit your questions, click the "Send" button. Due to high volume, not all questions will be answered.

Lesson Ideas
Get Ike out of obedience school and into your classroom with our free lesson plan.
Mark Teague's colorful and comical drawings help make Ike's story come alive. In children's picture books, the illustrations are just as important as the story. Take a look at our art activities and resources for teaching about illustrators.

Incorporate these online resources into an author study:

In the Teacher Store
Build your Mark Teague collection with these titles, available in Scholastic's Teacher Store Online.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
By Jane Yolen, Illustrated by Mark Teague
Ten dinosaur children tell you how they say goodnight. Whether it's pouting or throwing his teddy bear around, demanding a piggyback ride or another book, each little dino eventually tucks in his tail and whispers, "Goodnight."
Grades PreK–2

How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?
By Jane Yolen, Illustrated by Mark Teague
What if a dinosaur catches the flu? Does he whimper and whine between each At-choo? Does he drop dirty tissues all over the floor? Does he fling his medicine out of the door? Just like kids, little dinosaurs hate being sick. And going to the doctor can be pretty scary. How do dinosaurs get well soon? They drink lots of juice, and they get lots of rest; they’re good at the doctor's, 'cause doctors know best. This book captures children's fears about being sick and puts them to rest with playful read-aloud verse and wonderfully amusing pictures.
Grades PreK–2

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?
By Jane Yolen, Illustrated by Mark Teague
This irresistibly funny picture book is all about how little dinosaurs mind their manners at mealtime. Or do they?
Grades PreK–2

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School
Written and Illustratrated by Mark Teague
Gertrude LaRue receives typewritten and paw-written letters from her dog Ike, entreating her to let him leave the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy and come back home.
Grades PreK–3
Paperback

Detective Larue: Letters from the Investigation
Written and Illustratrated by Mark Teague
Ike the beloved canine investigator is back for round two in this hilarious sequel to Dear Mrs. Larue: Letters From Obedience School. The Hibbins' cats are missing and Ike is taking the blame. Your child will follow Ike's paw prints into the dark alleyways of Snort City as the doggie detective tries to solve the crime and clear his reputation.
Grades PreK–3
Hardcover

Pigsty
Written and Illustrated by Mark Teague
Delight your mess-maker with this sly story about a slob who learns a lesson. When Wendell's mother gives up on making him clean his room, he's delighted. He's even happier when a pig moves in and brings his porcine pals. But when Wendell's new co-habitants ruin his posters and baseball cards, even he has to do something about the pigsty he calls his room.
Grades K–2
Paperback

Moog-Moog, Space Barber
Written and Illustrated by Mark Teague
In this zany and colorful book, Elmo gets a terrible haircut and makes a trip to outer space to get it fixed by Moog-Moog, the great barber of the universe.
Grades K–2
Paperback

The Flying Dragon Room
By Audrey Wood, Illustratrated by Mark Teague
This wonderfully imaginative story takes the reader to a boy's fabulous, incredible secret place! The spectacular result is every child’s dream come true — beds just for jumping, bubbles big enough to float in, even a giant snake slide.
Grades K–2
Paperback

If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon
By Ellen Levine, Illustrated by Mark Teague
Meticulous research, accuracy of detail, and facts told from a child’s perspective convey what it was like to travel the Oregon Trail. Basic concepts of history are made meaningful through details of daily life, putting young readers into the middle of the action. Vivid full-color illustrations and a question-and-answer text bring to life traditional ways of life, customs, and everyday worlds in this series covering a rich range of historical events, eras, and peoples.
Grades 2–5
Paperback