Sophie Dahl (text) and Lauren O’Hara (illustrator), Madame Badobedah, Walker Books Ltd., October 2019, 56 pp., RRP $26.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781406384406
Mabel is a shoeless adventurer who lives with her parents at the Mermaid hotel. One day, a high priestess of crime, Madame Badobedah (rhymes with ooooh la la) turns up and moves in and no one seems to worry very much, except Mabel. Mabel is on to her.
This is a longer picture book intended for older readers, filled with quirky language and imagination, at the heart of which is an unlikely friendship. In the first part of this book, Dahl takes us through Mabel’s introduction to the elderly and glamorous Madame Badobedah and her initial reactions and investigations. The second part shows us their developing relationship, sailing the seven seas together, and then in the third part we find out Madame Badobedah’s intriguing life story.
O’Hara’s illustrations perfectly match Dahl’s lively writing. The contrast between the Hotel Mermaid’s beach and the stormy scenes of Madame Badobedah’s past is especially powerful.
Readers will be charmed by Mabel’s energy and by the mystery surrounding Madame Badobedah. Teachers and parents can use this book to discuss friendship, judging people based on first impressions and imagination.
Reviewed by Madeleine Crofts
