Madame Badobedah by Sophie Dahl
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.
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
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.
ISBN: 9781406384406
Dimensions: 210 x 290mm, 56pp
FAQ
Instructions
Care Guide
Care Guide
Size Guide
Manual
Materials/Ingredients
Safety
Shipping
Little Whimsy is an online store based on Auckland’s North Shore. Orders are packed and dispatched from our Hillcrest warehouse.
We aim to dispatch orders within 3 business days, although dispatch may take longer during busy periods, new releases, Christmas and major sales. You’ll receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking once your order has been packed and collected by the courier.
New Zealand shipping
We ship New Zealand-wide.
-
Free NZ shipping on orders $200 and over, including rural delivery, unless an oversize surcharge applies
-
$9 flat rate courier shipping for orders under $200
-
Rural delivery for orders under $200: $14 no signature or $15 signature/photo required
- Some large or bulky items may have an oversize shipping surcharge, which will be shown at checkout where applicable
Most New Zealand orders arrive within 3–5 business days from dispatch, although rural addresses and busy courier periods may take longer.
Please note that delivery timeframes are estimates only and may be affected by courier delays, weather events, public holidays or high-volume periods.
Once your order has been packed, you’ll receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking details.
Tracking may take up to 1 business day to update after your parcel has been collected and scanned by the courier.
Click & collect
Click & collect is available from our Hillcrest warehouse on Auckland’s North Shore.
Pickups are available: Monday and Wednesday, 10am–2pm
Please wait until you receive your collection email before coming in, as this means your order has been packed and is ready to collect. Our warehouse is not open for browsing, and orders cannot be collected before you receive your pickup confirmation.
Delivery address changes
Please check your delivery address carefully before placing your order.
If you notice an address error, contact us as soon as possible. If your order has not yet been packed or collected by the courier, we’ll do our best to update it.
Once an order has been dispatched, we are unable to change the delivery address from our end. You may be able to request a redirect directly through the courier, depending on the service used.
Authority to leave
If you choose authority to leave or request that your parcel is left without a signature, this is at your own risk.
Little Whimsy is not responsible for parcels that are marked as delivered by the courier but are lost, stolen or damaged after being left at the delivery address.
Australian shipping
We ship to Australia, with rates shown at checkout based on your cart and delivery address.
Australian parcels are sent with tracking. Once your parcel arrives in Australia, tracking and delivery are handled by the local postal or courier service.
Any customs charges, duties, taxes or import fees are the responsibility of the customer.
International shipping
We ship to many international destinations, with available rates shown at checkout depending on your cart and delivery country.
International delivery times vary by destination and service selected. Parcels may also be delayed by customs processing or local postal services.
Please note that any customs charges, duties, taxes or import fees are the responsibility of the customer.
Shipping to the United States, including Puerto Rico, is currently paused due to recent tariff and shipping changes.
Bulky or oversized items
Some large, heavy or bulky items may incur additional shipping charges.
Where possible, any oversize surcharge will show at checkout. If your order contains unusually bulky items and the actual shipping cost is significantly higher than charged, we may contact you before dispatch to discuss options.
Sale and busy period dispatch
During major sales, Christmas, new releases or especially busy periods, dispatch may take longer than usual.
We pack orders as quickly as possible in the order they are received and are unable to prioritise individual orders during these periods.
Questions about your order?
If you have a question about shipping, click & collect or your order, please contact us at:










