Madame Badobedah

“This book celebrates affection across generations and the acceptance of outsiders. Lauren O’Hara’s pictures have the naivety of seaside art, and Dahl’s prose is considered and surprising.”

“Any imaginative child will warm to this funny, touching story of lonely only child Mabel. Beautifully illustrated, this is a joyous debut from Roald Dahl’s granddaughter.”

“It was a year full of fantastic fiction. Sophie Dahl’s grandfather would have loved the adventurous girl at the heart of her debut children’s book, Madame Badobedah.”

“...this quirky, imaginative story is a delight... Vividly illustrated, this is a witty and gently moving debut.”

“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.”

“...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.”

"Swashbuckling and mysterious [...] I can't recommend it enough as a gift [...] it's a beautiful kids' book".

"Praise for Madame Badobedah: My favourite contemporary kids’ author […]"

"Dahl’s prose is considered and surprising."

“...Dahl junior proves she has a playful and beguiling voice... Pairing Dahl with O’Hara is a masterstroke. Her painterly images are colourful and chic but mysterious, just like Madame Badobedah, whose life story, refreshingly, is never fully revealed.”

"Dahl’s engaging style – teamed with Lauren O’Hara’s gorgeous illustrations – make it a book to remember."

"Illustrated with airy, light-hearted charm by Lauren O’Hara [...] This longer-form picture book taps astutely into the imaginative life of an adventurous child, is lovely both the read and listen to."

"Any imaginative child will warm to this funny, touching story of lonely only child Mabel. Beautifully illustrated, this is a joyous debut.”

"Innocence meets experience in this story that’s as beautifully illustrated as it is told.”

"plenty of charm"

" [...] one of 2019’s most exciting and imaginative picture books [...] Sophie Dahl’s debut for children is wonderfully eccentric and imaginative, and also tells a powerful tale of friendship [...]The pictures are also a pure delight.”

"Sophie Dahl’s Madame Badobedah, with glorious watercolour illustrations from Lauren O’Hara, is full of exotic detail, as donkey-loving Mabel spies on the most mysterious resident at the Mermaid Hotel.”

“...warm-hearted and almost poetic... Dahl’s engaging style – teamed with Lauren O’Hara’s gorgeous illustrations – make it a book to remember.”

“A stylish and sophisticated story for young readers to treasure.”

“This book is a thing of wonder.”

“Glorious”

“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.”

“This book is one of those books you dreamt of reading as a child.That you wished you could write as an adult. One that you’re so glad exists so your own child can read. It’s a proper children’s book.”

“Perfect for those who like a whimsical adventure, with beautiful pictures by Lauren O’Hara.”

“Written and illustrated with heaps of wit, charm and heart, Madame Badobedah manages to feel both fresh and classic at the same time.”

“A delightful and beautiful exploration of the unlikely intergenerational friendship that develops between two remarkable female leads.This peek through the keyhole will leave you itching to join Mabel and her new friend on further adventures and to explore more of Dahl’s fresh and quirky imaginative style.”