Have you heard? Dude, the real-life beagle from the brand new children’s book, Dude the Hunter, will be at Norton’s U.S.A. on Lageschulte Street in Barrington this Saturday with local author and illustrator Sue Daly! Sue will be signing copies of her new book, with the little star by her side. The event lasts from 2 to 4 p.m., so be sure to come by and get your copy signed—and possibly licked by Dude— tomorrow.
Sue is a Barrington resident, children’s book author and an accomplished illustrator known for her works drawn with pen-ink. In fact, you might already be familiar with Sue’s art…
She drew the illustrations for the popular Everybody Loves Mookie series, written by Judith Kristen, about the adventures of a sweet little tabby cat.
Now, with Dude in the spotlight, we couldn’t wait to catch up with Sue to get the scoop on her latest character.
365 Barrington: What inspired you to write Dude the Hunter?
Sue: There’s a little background to how all this evolved. I illustrated for another author, Judith Kristen, and she was a big advocate on donating proceeds to no-kill pet shelters. That was always a passion of mine too, so I later decided to write about my little beagle dog and donate all the proceeds to the same cause. Dude’s a scaredy-cat, but I’d watch him when he was dreaming and saw him having an adventure and being tough in his own little mind when his legs would move and things like that. The stories are the things he gets into in his dreams.
365 Barrington: Why is this book important to you?
Sue: Dude The Hunter is the first of three books in the series, for which I am donating all the proceeds to no-kill shelters in different states; so I’m going to donate to a variety of different shelters based on where my book signings are, instead of just a local one.
365Barrington: What was your favorite part about writing and illustrating the book?
Sue: This is something I’ve always loved to do—it’s not work. I love to draw and read–and I really enjoy reading to children. I go to schools to read the books to kids and it’s so funny when they interact and scream “Dude!” It also feels good to know that I can make a difference for animals waiting for a home.
Sue and Dude will be signing books and greeting guests from 2 – 4 p.m. TOMORROW, April 21st, at Norton’s—located at 400 Lageschulte Street in Barrington. For more information or directions to Nortons, you can reach the store at 847-382-8872. You can also visit their website at www.nortonsusa.com. To learn more about Sue, CLICK HERE to visit her Facebook page or check out her website at IllustrationsbySueDaly.com.
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About the Author
We’re excited to introduce you to local writer, Laura Pavin, who will be contributing stories at 365Barrington.com, starting this spring. Laura is a quick-response news and feature writer with a keen eye for human interest happenings in Barrington. She’s totally on top of the local social networking scene and you can follow her Tweets by clicking HERE. One of our favorite things about Laura is that she’s a recent graduate of the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. I*L*L – I*N*I ! To learn more about Laura’s background and the stories she writes for local news publications, visit her website at LauraPavin.Wordpress.com.
Any time is a good time to read to a child – but ESPECIALLY when the proceeds from each book benefits animal rescue! How perfect is that?! Dude’s story is charming and fun… one of those books that kids will want to read over and over again. It’s wonderful in every way! 🙂