Madame Badobedah by Sophie Dahl and Illustrated by Lauren O’Hara
This book is just wonderful. It is a little bit Madeline with a dose of Eloise and a heaping side of Harriet the Spy. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The story is a multilevel of a cross-generational friendship seen through the eyes of a child who is curious, a little judgmental and a tiny bit naughty.
Here is a link to the author, Sophie Dahl, reading the story!
The young girl is fascinated with a new boarder at her family’s bed and breakfast and at first she imagines this woman to be a thief because the woman has a mysterious accent (she comes from across the ocean and had to flee her homeland) and trunks filled with “treasures” and a herd of little dogs. Taken by her curiosity, the girl does a little sleuthing but is caught red handed and to her surprise, invited into the object of her curiosity’s room.
A friendship ensues that is full of imaginative play, each scene accompanied by the beautiful watercolor hues of the seashore. The girl learns to trust her knew friend and even learns a bit about grace, taking responsibility for one’s actions and a nice hat tip to becoming an independent woman.
I especially like the illustration of the cut away of the bed and breakfast. Every nook and cranny is fulled with tiny detail that could hold attention for hours, like a dollhouse for the eyes. This is a new book for the ages and should be on every child’s bookshelf! The story and the art work are timeless. I highly recommend it!
Thank you to Candlewick Press for this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I Am Uniquely Eve 