(2) PS A baby robin falls from its nest after a tantrum. Its parent instructs it to fly back; the baby mimes increasingly outrageous alternatives--from riding on its parent's back to piloting an airplane. Finally, the baby is swayed by the mention of a spooky owl. Teague's amiable illustrations with gently cartooned figures and comedic "dialogue" (picture-filled word balloons) help to mitigate any fears viewers may have for the bird. A nearly wordless book about gaining independence (willingly or not).

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) K-3 In this twist on the traditional tale, Jack's magic beanstalk produces enough beans to keep the whole town fed, but everyone soon grows bored with the monotonous diet. Jack climbs the beanstalk and discovers that he and the giant have the same culinary complaint: "NO MORE BEANS!" The illustrations exaggerate the storybook setting and its characters for comedic effect, and sly surprises appear throughout.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(4) K-3 StoryPlay Book series. Four girls head to the store for the perfect party shoes (Shoe-la-la); amiable dinosaurs dance and stomp in a "dinosaur romp" while two worried-looking rodents watch (Dinosaurumpus!); two pigs squander their money on chips and "sody-pop" instead of solid building materials (Pigs). New to these editions are intrusive discussion prompts and appended "creative activities" to help parents "engage with your little one." Review covers these StoryPlay Book titles: Shoe-la-la!, Dinosaurumpus, and The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) PS StoryPlay series. Dog Edward and his cousin Judy participate in a drill, learn all about fighting fires, and eventually help in a real emergency. Humorous oil-paint illustrations show some of Edward's less successful attempts at helping out before being deemed a hero. New to this edition (published in a series promoting early literacy) are intrusive discussion prompts and appended "creative activities" to help parents "engage with your little one."

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Gathered ship by ship at Peg Leg Jones's for a jamboree, boisterous young pirates find that their outrageous plundering ways soon merit the arrival of the S.S. CLEAN YOUR ROOM, captained by none other than the dreaded Mrs. Jones. Teague's bright, action-packed illustrations fully and humorously deliver this imaginary pirate world, but the text's lackluster rhymes and often awkward meter drag the story down.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(2) K-3 This twist begins with the acorn hitting Chicken Little and her refrain about the sky falling. The chickens get so worked up that they burst into...dance (the other animals show obvious scorn). Good-sized illustrations develop the text's wry humor, capturing the chickens' wild-eyed dithering and showing Fox lurking until he's goaded into dancing--and a falling apple knocks him out. Chicken Little deserves more credit.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(3) K-3 This fractured-fairy-tale version is a silly lesson in responsible spending, as two pigs squander their money on chips and "sody-pop" instead of solid building materials. The wolf--ultimately benign, just hungry--fails to knock down the third pig's brick house and is invited in for a snack. Teague's humorous take on the tale and his bold, polished oils are spot-on.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Dog-scribe Ike LaRue pens postcards to his neighbor, Mrs. Higgins, whose cats--much to Ike's chagrin--accompany him on vacation. The notes start off polite ("I am certain that they would be happier at home") and grow increasingly desperate ("Perhaps I will mail myself home"). Teague's top-notch, larger-than-life double-page-spread illustrations reveal the humorous truths behind Ike's cushy vacation.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) K-3 Dog Edward and his cousin Judy (Funny Farm) visit a firehouse. They participate in a drill and learn all about fighting fires. When a real emergency happens--a kitten is stuck in a tree--Edward volunteers and rescues the cat. Humorous oil-paint illustrations of the nattily dressed pups show some of Edward's less successful attempts at helping out before being deemed a hero.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 In this funny story, Edward, a beefy canine, visits his cousin Judy, aunt Josephine, and uncle Earl in the country. The narrative describes routine farm work while Teague's signature oil-paint illustrations show an oddball farm in action: cows play tetherball and sheep brush their teeth in a trough while Edward wanders about in his prim-and-proper suit and bow tie.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(2) 4-6 Teague puts a campy spin on intergalactic war. In 1956, skreeps (spiderlike aliens) kidnap Bud Creedle, inventor of a "dimensional field destabilizer" that cuts through the space-time continuum. The burden of saving Earth falls to juvenile delinquent Jack and budding scientist Isadora; the story's action is fast and furious. Teague's visual writing and numerous black-and-white illustrations help readers picture the alien assortment.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2010

(3) K-3 This latest offering starring the letter-writing canine largely comprises Ike's missives to his hospitalized owner, Mrs. LaRue, about his ambition to run for mayor against Chief Bugwort--whose campaign promises include a leash law. Ike's attitude is all innocence, but Teague's art reveals otherwise, ergo the book's humor. The illustrations are like Ike himself: big, splashy, and impeccably composed.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Using a similar format to Dear Mrs. LaRue, Ike the dog sends a series of letters to his owner, bragging about cracking the case of two missing cats. Much of the humor is in the art. Black-and-white pictures depict Ike investigating dark alleyways and answering phones at the police station, while color illustrations show he really spent his time playing checkers with the cops and taking bubble baths at a posh hotel.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 After he misbehaves yet again, dog Ike is sent away to obedience school; the book's amusing narrative is his letters to his owner lamenting his sorry circumstances. Gray illustrations on one side of the page show the prisonlike conditions that Ike describes, while full-color acrylic paintings on the other depict the spa where he is actually staying.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 One Halloween, when nothing seems to go right, Wendell, Floyd, and Mona find themselves chased by the class bully and her nasty friends, dressed as witches. But, as Wendell says, "Anything can happen on Halloween," and anything does in this rollicking adventure of magic and escape. Energetic illustrations in bright Halloween colors add to the fun of the story.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 The school Lost and Found bin serves as an entrance to a cluttered, cavernous fantasyland for Floyd, Wendell, and Mona when they go in search of Mona's missing hat. This light adventure, with its playfully imagined acrylic paintings, entertains the welcome suggestion that school might not always be as humdrum as it appears on the surface.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann