A timeless story celebrating friendship and imagination, from an exciting new voice in children's literature.
Mabel lives with her parents in The Mermaid Hotel, by the sea. Mabel likes to keep an eye on the comings and goings of all the guests. Then one day a particularly in-ter-est-ing old lady comes to stay. There is something very suspicious about her, with her growly voice and her heavy trunks and her beady-eyed tortoise. And why does no one know her REAL name? There can only be one answer, Mabel decides ... this guest is a SUPERVILLAIN. But even supervillains have a soft side, and as an unlikely friendship grows between the pair, their fantastical exploits take them well beyond the corridors of their seaside home.
Book Features:
- Sophie Dahl is an internationally bestselling novelist, cookery writer and columnist, and this warm, sparky, gently playful story is her very first foray into children's books.
- Lauren O'Hara's soft, warm palette never fails to entice children into the pages of her books, and this beautifully produced jacketed gift hardback perfectly showcases her sumptuous illustrations.
- Timeless storytelling reminiscent of classics such as Ludwig Bemelmans' Madeline stories and Kay Thompson's Eloise.
About the Author
Sophie Dahl began her working life as a teenage fashion model, but books and words were her first love. In 2003 she wrote
Sunday Times bestseller
The Man with the Dancing Eyes, an illustrated novella, which she followed in 2007 with her first novel,
Playing with the Grown-ups. A devoted home-cook, Dahl has written two cookery books,
From Season to Season and
Sunday Times bestseller
Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights, in addition to writing and presenting two BBC prime time shows about food. She is a contributing editor at
Conde Nast Traveller and was a long-time contributing editor at
British Vogue, and she has written non-fiction essays for
US Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Observer, Guardian and
The Times. Sophie lives in the countryside with her husband, daughters, rescue dog, cat and tortoise.
Madame Badobedah is her first book for children.
About the Illustration
Lauren O’Hara is an illustrator from the north of England. As a child she loved reading fairy tales, painting insects and listening to her grandmother’s stories. She studied art and illustration at Kingston University and then designed window displays and props for films. Lauren’s career as an illustrator began when she and her sister, Natalia worked together on a picture book,
Hortense and the Shadow. This was published in 2017 and followed in 2018 by
The Bandit Queen. Lauren lives in a converted church in Dublin, Ireland with her partner, their cat Ida and assorted ghosts.
Industry Reviews
...this quirky, imaginative story is a delight... Vividly illustrated, this is a witty and gently moving debut. * The Daily Mail *
Dahl's granddaughter makes her children's debut with this gentle tale... "I really hate bitter books, and bitter people," Sophie Dahl has said. There is no bitterness here, and nothing too revolting - but there is plenty of charm. * The Daily Telegraph *
It is a splendidly entertaining story, just right for younger readers who are launching out into a larger text, and Lauren O'Hara has responded to it with huge dash and imagination. * Shirley Hughes *
...it's swashbuckling and mysterious whilst still being very easy to follow. I can't recommend it enough as a gift for a godchild or a niece or nephew, it's a beautiful, beautiful kids' book and I hope to read lots more of Madame Badobedah * Dolly Alderton, The High Low podcast *
...visit a seaside B&B in Sophie Dahl's Madame Badobedah (Walker), illustrated with airy, light-hearted charm by Lauren O'Hara. Mettlesome Mabel encounters a suspicious guest: a flamboyant old lady with piles of fascinating luggage, toffee-apple-red hair and rude, secretive manners. Is she right to guess that Madam Badobedah is a super-villain? This longer-form picture book, tapping astutely into the imaginative life of an adventurous child, is lovely both to read and to listen to. -- Imogen Russell Williams * The Guardian *
