Madeline

Title: Madeline

Author: Ludwig Bemelmans

Publisher: Penguin Books, Inc

Copyright: 1939, 1967

ISBN: 0670445800

Madeline is a delightful book about a young girl living in a Parisian boarding school. One night, Madeline wakes up crying because of a terrible pain. The doctor is called and she ends up in the hospital with appendicitis. All of her schoolmates miss her greatly and come to visit her in the hospital, later deciding they all want to have their appendixes removed as well!

I love the book Madeline as well as the companion books that came after. The tale is simple and fun and the pictures are whimsical, aligning perfectly with the story. For American children, there will be some unfamiliar expressions ("Pooh-Pooh" and "DAN-ton-ten-six") and concepts (boarding school,) providing teachable moments. If using this book in a library or classroom setting, teachers could use the famous settings in many of the pictures to teach a geography lesson about France for older students. In the early childhood storytime or classroom setting, this book would be great to use when teaching about rhyme. Madeline is a Caldecott Honor Book, so it could also be used in a Caldecott unit.

I highly recommend Madeline for it's easy to follow story, loveable characters, and excellent illustrations.