Lady Lupin's Book of Etiquette - Hardcover

Cole, Babette

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 024114096X ISBN 13: 9780241140963

Publisher: Hamish Hamilton and Ted Smart, 2001

Synopsis

Lady Lupin's Book of Etiquette

About this title

From School Library Journal:

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
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Compared to Cole's unmannerly The Bad Good Manners Book, this guide offers reasonable advice on table settings, fine dining and how to comport oneself. On the other hand, its recommendations are dispensed by a matronly Scottish deerhound and carried out by her wolfish pack of yearling pups, who run roughshod through Longtail Castle in Lochbone, Scotland, setting up a kind of Emily Post Do's and Don'ts. One she-dog showers her brother with hors d'oeuvres, despite a reminder to "Never bark with your mouth full!" Two boy hounds slyly demonstrate the ladies-first rule by opening a door for girls who are chasing a cat. (To eliminate confusion, the females wear pearls and tiaras, the males wear black bowties.) The book also models handwritten notes to Lady Snoutover of Pedigree Park and Lord Earwig of Great Itchington, Sussex. The upper-crusty addresses are funnier than the reasons for the letters, which are no more outrageous than "I really am most awfully sorry for causing your fall." Cole chooses a reserved color scheme of silvery gray and wedding white, then undercuts the elegance in her sketches of lanky dogs with wiry coats and abashed expressions. The pictured clumsiness and polite words fall short of hilarity, but effectively satirize good breeding. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hamish Hamilton and Ted Smart
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 024114096X
• ISBN 13: 9780241140963
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32