Lady Lupin's Book of Etiquette - Hardcover

Babette Cole graduated from Canterbury College of Art in 1973 and has been a writer and illustrator ever since. She has produced animation storyboards for the BBC, illustrated numerous greetings cards and books by other authors, and has written and illustrated her own best-selling books. Babette won the Kurt Maschler Prize for DROP DEAD! She lives in Lincolnshire with a menagerie of animals.

PreSchool-Grade 3-In the tradition of The Bad Good Manners Book (1996; o.p.) and Bad Habits! (1999, both Dial), Cole now writes about etiquette, using characters based on her own Scottish deerhounds. The aristocratic, jewel-and-tiara-wearing Lady Lupin decides to teach her puppies manners so that they will be loved by everyone and perhaps attract good mates. Children will relate to much of the behavior Lady Lupin warns against, such as not barking with one's mouth full or squabbling over bones. They may not so readily relate to other instruction, including how to eat oysters, snails, and lobster. And only a few will need to know their way around place settings with multiple utensils. But every child does need to know to hold doors open for others and to send thank-you notes. The ending is a bit of a surprise as Lady Lupin's daughter runs off with a short, bandanna-wearing dog and they have a litter of mixed-breed pups, which leads to the last piece of advice: "And above all, remain calm when faced with the unexpected!" Some of this story will go over children's heads and may not translate to their world. However, the lighthearted, whimsical illustrations of big, hairy dogs behaving badly will likely hold their attention.
Laurie von Mehren, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH
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