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Mark and Shark: Detectiving and Stuff

by John Dougherty, illustrated by Katie Abey

Interest age: 6 to 8
Reading age: 7+

Published by Oxford University Press, 2019

  • Adventure
  • Chapter books
  • Fantasy
  • Funny

About this book

Mark and his best friend Shark run a detective agency, although they’ve not yet been offered any cases to solve. Luckily, they also deal with ‘stuff’, which Shark prefers, as she’s not very good at detectiving. She often gets the wrong end of the stick and tends to mistake most objects for seals, so tries to eat them.

When Ursula, a large, aggressive polar bear, bursts into their office to hire them as ice cream sellers, they cautiously agree. Ursula proves to be a particularly volatile client, especially when she spots rival ice cream trader, Pilbeam the Penguin, who has muscled in on her patch with his perfect, shiny ice cream van. Giving the pompous penguin a wide berth, Mark and Shark trawl round the dodgy side of town in Ursula’s battered old van, attempting to drum up some business. Unfortunately, they are pursued by a threatening gang of mobsters, led by gangster Jimmy the Fridge (who is actually a washing machine) and chaos ensues.

Featuring talking desks, menacing toasters and a dashingly dazzling unicorn, this chapter book with entertaining illustrations is fast-paced, funny and utterly ridiculous. Ideal for independent readers who enjoy madcap adventures.

About the author

John Dougherty was the sort of boy who always had his nose in a book, and he grew into the sort of adult who always has his nose in a book, which is probably why he decided to become a writer. Born and raised in Larne, Northern Ireland, John now lives in Stroud in Gloucestershire with his wife, two children, a few chickens and several bees. He’s a keen singer who has performed solo, with a band, and as a member of three award-winning a cappella groups. He also enjoys running, and has completed the London Marathon three times. A former teacher, John now loves to visit schools to talk about his work. His books have been shortlisted for a number of prestigious awards but, more importantly, they make children giggle.

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