Nathan Lane and 'Mabel' get naughty

NEW YORK — Nathan Lane's forthcoming children's book, Naughty Mabel, is based on his own over-privileged, misbehaving French bulldog.

The comic actor and Broadway star was just a little bit naughty himself Friday as he drew laughs from a big crowd at the annual Children's Book and Author Breakfast at BookExpo America.

"When the alarm went off at 6 a.m. this morning, I suddenly had a great idea for next year. It's called the Children's Book and Author Brunch, same as this year only four hours later. I'll pick up about 4,000 eggs," he joked. "I usually only get up this early to pee — and that's kind of a waiting game."

He also claimed three librarians had already tried to "French kiss me but only because they thought I was James Patterson," alluding to the best-selling author who shared the stage. (Patterson appeared not to flinch.)

Lane said he was a voracious reader as a kid, and his favorite book was Stuart Little by E.B. White. "I like any book that begins with a matter-of-fact birth of a mouse to a woman in Manhattan, and nobody blinks."

He loved Stuart Little "maybe because he was different, maybe because I felt different." (Lane grew up to voice Snowbell the cat in the movie version.)

Lane introduced his first children's book, which he wrote with his partner Devlin Elliott, as the story of "Mabel of the Hamptons, a French bulldog, a high-society, highly strung canine with a penchant for doing things her way — you know, like Sinatra."

The real-life Mabel, he said, is "indeed spoiled rotten and pampered. She actually has 26 separate allergies, a very delicate stomach, is a little bit stubborn. She's extremely neurotic, a little needy. It's like living with Gwyneth Paltrow."

The picture book, illustrated by Dan Krall, will be published by Simon & Schuster on Oct. 6.

Patterson also spoke, on the same day his new children's book imprint, called jimmy patterson, was announced by Little, Brown. The imprint will publish kids' books by Patterson and other writers. The hope, Patterson said at the breakfast, is that "when a kid finishes a jimmy book, he'll say, 'Please give me another book.' Most kids don't."