Mabel thinks of herself as an adventurer and a spy
who sometimes goes to school. Luckily for Mabel, her parents own The Mermaid
Hotel where she spends all her spare time exploring and making new friends.
That is until a new guest turns up . . . .
Madame Badobedah struts into the Mermaid Hotel with
her gaudy clothes, funny accent and excessive luggage along with her menagerie
of animals.
Mabel is immediately suspicious of Madame Badobedah
with her 23 pieces of luggage, 13 boxes, two trunks, endless trinkets, two
cats, two dogs and a tortoise called Boris who sleeps on a pillow.
All the adults think Madame is extremely rude and
demanding, calling her Mrs Mutter Mutter behind her back. Mabel is convinced
their new guest is a super villain! Mabel’s reasoning is that Madame Badobedah
is sooo old, positively ancient, rude to everyone and expresses her opinions.
It makes total sense to Mabel, goodness knows how many secrets are hiding in madame’s
never-ending luggage, trunks and boxes.
Mabel is determined to discover the truth and any
secrets Madame might be hiding.
Taking her role seriously, Mabel dresses in a cap
and trench coat and lurks in the halls, watching the new guest’s every move.
After examining all the evidence, Mabel is convinced
Madame Badobedah is definitely a spy. There are bags of gold coins under the
bed, she hand feeds bananas to Boris the turtle and she wears two socks on each
foot to hide her purple toes. Toes of a villain. One curious thing Mabel
discovers is that Madame Badobedah never leaves her room. Never ever!
One morning just as Mabel thinks she know
everything, Madame Badobedah surprises her by opening the door and inviting
Mabel inside for a cup of tea. What happens next is the start of a beautiful
friendship and glorious adventures involving pirates, treasures and the odd
mermaid.
Author Sophie Dahl shows us what it means to be
young at heart and that you are never too old to indulge in the playfulness and
freedom of one’s imagination. The illustrations by Lauren O’Hara capture the
essence of the story transporting the reader into fantastical adventures that
await them.
Title: Madame Badobedah
Author: Sophie Dahl
Illustrator: Lauren O’Hara
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, $26.99
Publication
Date: 1 October
2019
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781406384406
For
ages: 4+
Type: Picture Books
