FICTION

Naughty Mabel

by Nathan Devlin Elliott LANE
illus. by Dan Krall. 48p. S. & S. Oct. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481430227.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—If Eloise had been a dog, she would have been Naughty Mabel, the overprivileged, overindulged canine heroine of this picture book. Like Eloise's, some of Mabel's humor is best appreciated by the adults who will be reading aloud, as when Mabel describes her age ("five is the new three"), but many of her antics will resonate with youngsters who wish they could get away with driving a golf cart or applying their own touches to the artwork on their parents' walls. One way to divide the world is between those who believe their pets should be regarded as children and that they should be admired by everyone they encounter, and those who do not. People in the former camp will like this book.
VERDICT An amusing, if additional, purchase.
Reviewed by Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY
Eloise, Schmeloise. French bulldog Mabel describes her luxurious life in the Hamptons with her "parents" ("very sweet, for humans"), who tolerate her destructive ways ("I just like to keep things interesting") and love her despite her party-ending flatulence (the book's grand finale). Actor Lane's larger-than-life personality comes through with every wisecrack and witty aside, and the ultra-glam art keeps up--somehow.
 , Aug 01, 2015

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