Magnificent Mabel and the Rabbit Riot; Ruth Quayle, illustrated by Julia Christians

The first in a new series starring Mabel Chase, a very cheeky and funny little girl with a big personality! The book features three short stories so readers are treated to three times the fun and frustrations because life is tough when you’re a child.

Everyone has a pet at Mabel’s school, some even have more than one. Florence Carter has more pets than she has fingers! And Mabel’s parents have only given her sister, Meg, a rabbit for her birthday, ugh, total disaster. Especially when her sister doesn’t appear to have any interest in caring for it. Luckily Mabel is on hand to ‘help’ out.

In story two, Mabel has a wobbly tooth and it must definitely not fall out. There’s a burglar tooth fairy on the loose and that is one person that Mabel definitely does not want visiting in the middle of the night. But can she come up with a way to prevent the tooth from falling out?

Finally, Mabel is jealous of friends that have a sprinkler in their garden. She can think of nothing better than splashing in the water. After successfully engineering a playdate at Elsa’s house, Mabel is looking forward to sprinkler fun but Elsa has lots of ideas for things they can do instead.

Oh Mabel, nothing will go right in her life! Pets, problem dentures and playdates all provide their own problems and challenges. The believable scenarios play out in three very funny short stories with issues centred around family, friendship and fears. Like many children, Mabel has a temper, gets frustrated easily and constantly thinks that life is not fair. Her attitude and views on life will be very relatable for many young children. 

I love that we get to hear exactly what Mabel is thinking and feeling in a funny and honest exploration of the trials and tribulations of being a child. Mabel’s actions and reactions all feel totally realistic and her child voice will no doubt be relatable to many parents.

With oversized text and plenty of illustrations, Magnificent Mabel and the Rabbit Riot is a great fit for newly independent readers.

Recommend for 5+.