What do you think?
Rate this book
Madeline
Mad About Madeline: The Complete Tales
For over sixty years, Madeline's adventures have enthralled her ever-growing audience. This collection brings together all six of the Madeline books in one volume. Every well-loved word and picture is here, plus an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anna Quindlen, an essay by Ludwig Bemelmans on how he created Madeline, and working sketches of Madeline, as well as photos of the Bemelmans family. This landmark volume will be treasured by the entire family.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1939
22 people are currently reading
1267 people want to read
About the author
Ludwig Bemelmans
189 books438 followersLudwig Bemelmans, Austrian-American illustrator, wrote books, such as
Madeline
in 1939, for children, and his experiences in the restaurant business based
Hotel Splendide
, adult fiction in 1940.
People internationally knew Ludwig Bemelmans, an author and a gourmand. People today most note his six publications to 1961. After his death, people discovered and posthumously published a seventh in 1999.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_...
People internationally knew Ludwig Bemelmans, an author and a gourmand. People today most note his six publications to 1961. After his death, people discovered and posthumously published a seventh in 1999.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
December 10, 2024
A Christmas Eve Visit With Madeline
"In an old house in Paris
that was covered with vines
lived twelve little girls in two straight lines."
In visiting my granddaughter, age 4, (2009) I have been revisiting the Madeline stories by Ludwig Bemelmans. I don't get to see my granddaughter often, but we have been reading Madeline at bedtime. Among other things, she knows the famous, fearless line: "To the tiger in the zoo, Madeline just said 'Pooh-pooh."
Bemelmans (1898 -- 1962) was an American author and artist remembered primarily for his Madeline books. There were six books in the series (another appeared after Bemelmans's death in an edition published by his son) written between 1939 and 1961:
Madeline
Madeline and the Bad Hat
Madeline's Rescue
Madeline and the Gypsies
Madeline in London
Madeline's Christmas
As a child, I was familiar with only the original book which is still the most famous of the series. My daughter knew several of them, as I remember, and now my granddaughter has the entire collection of six little books in this complete edition, "Mad about Madeline." The book also includes, for parents, a useful introduction by Anna Quindlen, an afterward of brief recollections by Bemelmans, and an index after each story of the scenes in Paris that Bemelmans used for his illustrations.
The stories are told in rhymed couplets and feature simple illustrations, some of which are in black, white, and yellow, others in full color. The chief character is the mischievous and adventurous Madeline, the smallest girl in a Paris boarding school of 12 girls, together with the teacher, a nun named Miss Clavel, whose evenings are often disrupted by the antics of Madeline and her companions. Other characters include Pepito, the son of the Spanish Ambassador who lives next door (in three stories) and a dog named Genevive, who saves Madeline from drowning in the story called "Madeline's Rescue". One story, "Madeline in London" takes place in London while another "Madeline and the Gypsies" takes place in part in a Gypsy camp. The final story "Madeline's Christmas" is more fanciful than its companions and includes rides on magic carpets. In each of the stories, the spunky Madeline faces a disaster which is overcome, to the relief of Miss Clavel and the other girls.
It is delightful to revisit these stories, or in some cases to read them anew, with a grandchild. I recently became a grandparent for the second time and have been meeting my new granddaughter for the first time while reading Madeline and having other adventures with her big sister. In a few years, I hope to be reading Madeline to the newborn as well.
Robin Friedman
"In an old house in Paris
that was covered with vines
lived twelve little girls in two straight lines."
In visiting my granddaughter, age 4, (2009) I have been revisiting the Madeline stories by Ludwig Bemelmans. I don't get to see my granddaughter often, but we have been reading Madeline at bedtime. Among other things, she knows the famous, fearless line: "To the tiger in the zoo, Madeline just said 'Pooh-pooh."
Bemelmans (1898 -- 1962) was an American author and artist remembered primarily for his Madeline books. There were six books in the series (another appeared after Bemelmans's death in an edition published by his son) written between 1939 and 1961:
Madeline
Madeline and the Bad Hat
Madeline's Rescue
Madeline and the Gypsies
Madeline in London
Madeline's Christmas
As a child, I was familiar with only the original book which is still the most famous of the series. My daughter knew several of them, as I remember, and now my granddaughter has the entire collection of six little books in this complete edition, "Mad about Madeline." The book also includes, for parents, a useful introduction by Anna Quindlen, an afterward of brief recollections by Bemelmans, and an index after each story of the scenes in Paris that Bemelmans used for his illustrations.
The stories are told in rhymed couplets and feature simple illustrations, some of which are in black, white, and yellow, others in full color. The chief character is the mischievous and adventurous Madeline, the smallest girl in a Paris boarding school of 12 girls, together with the teacher, a nun named Miss Clavel, whose evenings are often disrupted by the antics of Madeline and her companions. Other characters include Pepito, the son of the Spanish Ambassador who lives next door (in three stories) and a dog named Genevive, who saves Madeline from drowning in the story called "Madeline's Rescue". One story, "Madeline in London" takes place in London while another "Madeline and the Gypsies" takes place in part in a Gypsy camp. The final story "Madeline's Christmas" is more fanciful than its companions and includes rides on magic carpets. In each of the stories, the spunky Madeline faces a disaster which is overcome, to the relief of Miss Clavel and the other girls.
It is delightful to revisit these stories, or in some cases to read them anew, with a grandchild. I recently became a grandparent for the second time and have been meeting my new granddaughter for the first time while reading Madeline and having other adventures with her big sister. In a few years, I hope to be reading Madeline to the newborn as well.
Robin Friedman
July 8, 2007
This volume contains the complete "Madeline" books: Madeline, Madeline and The Bad Hat, Madeline's Rescue, Madeline and The Gypsies, Madeline in London, and Madeline's Christmas. These books are loved, especially by young children, because all have wonderful paintings and drawings on every page and because of engaging rhyme & meter in the stories. The stories are about the spunky Parisian girl named Madeline. I always assumed she lived in an orphanage with 11 other little girls and the nuns, but perhaps it was a boarding school. This edition contains some biographical information about & photos of the author.
I also have Madeline & Madeline's Rescue as separate books from my childhood years. Think had Madeline and the Bad Hat as well when I was a kid.
I also have Madeline & Madeline's Rescue as separate books from my childhood years. Think had Madeline and the Bad Hat as well when I was a kid.
August 29, 2022
I read this book aloud to my girls which is a compilation of 6 Madeline stories. My toddler especially loved me reading it to her and enjoyed the beautiful illustrations. I’m loving finding books I can read aloud to them! 💝💝💝
July 20, 2022
preparing for my month-long trip in paris in september with some essential reading
September 30, 2023
These books were a favorite of my moms as a child so, I thought what the heck - I’d give them a go! What a great decision that was. I know nothing about Paris and needed to learn something since my Aunt Michelle just took a trip there. She’s on Goodreads.
The images in these books are intriguing to my little eyes. They are whimsical and honestly I can’t believe these places exist IRL. The story line is consistent from one book to another. Madeline evokes a personality that is original and brave. What’s not to love?!
The images in these books are intriguing to my little eyes. They are whimsical and honestly I can’t believe these places exist IRL. The story line is consistent from one book to another. Madeline evokes a personality that is original and brave. What’s not to love?!
March 15, 2020
Adding this because once you've read any book 100 times it should count toward your Goodreads Reading Challenge goal.
With the exception of one story being glaringly problematic (I bet you can guess which) we enjoy this treasury and thankfully so as I can now recite them in my sleep.
With the exception of one story being glaringly problematic (I bet you can guess which) we enjoy this treasury and thankfully so as I can now recite them in my sleep.
January 11, 2025
I love Madeline!
January 1, 2018
This year, I’ve been rereading some of my favorite childhood books not only for nostalgia’s sake but also to study the work of the illustrators I most admire. While reading, I didn’t expect to remember so many of the repetitive rhymes by heart since decades have gone by, but these stories are truly memorable. I loved Madeline so much as a child, I had a doll of the brave heroine, with red yarn hair and blue felt jacket, as well as a stuffed animal of her dog, Genevieve, a big yellow bow tied around her neck. While rereading these stories as an adult, I realized they depict quite stressful and scary situations, but they’re told in such an endearing and silly way, they most likely don’t stress children in the same manner. The books depict some outlandish concepts, mainly for the purpose of rhyming, but that’s what makes them so fun.
This sizable collection includes the first six Madeline books, an introduction by Anna Quindlen, and an excerpt from Bemelmans’ diary with writing and sketches that detail the origin of the stories. The Bemelmans portion was not quite long enough to quench my thirst for the author’s inspiration, and I feel this section could have been expanded. My favorite part about rereading stories like these as an adult is not just the new perspective and appreciation for the works themselves, but often the additional commentary included in compilations or anniversary publications that add depth and context to these stories.
There are a few different illustration styles throughout – from somewhat loose and expressive black ink drawings with minimal white and yellow backgrounds, to more elaborate and colorful gouache environmental scenes. The drawing style could be seen as crude from a traditionalist’s perspective, but it is so delightful and expressive, it appears deliberate and free rather than amateurish. The scenes are always so lively and inviting, and the characters need not much detail to determine their personality. The final book, Madeline’s Christmas, is inconsistent in its style throughout, incorporating new scenes with light colorful washes of paint and an alternative technique for character close-ups. Because it’s part of a collection, it stands apart from the others more strongly.
I highly recommend this collection to all ages, especially older readers who might need a trip down memory lane.
This sizable collection includes the first six Madeline books, an introduction by Anna Quindlen, and an excerpt from Bemelmans’ diary with writing and sketches that detail the origin of the stories. The Bemelmans portion was not quite long enough to quench my thirst for the author’s inspiration, and I feel this section could have been expanded. My favorite part about rereading stories like these as an adult is not just the new perspective and appreciation for the works themselves, but often the additional commentary included in compilations or anniversary publications that add depth and context to these stories.
There are a few different illustration styles throughout – from somewhat loose and expressive black ink drawings with minimal white and yellow backgrounds, to more elaborate and colorful gouache environmental scenes. The drawing style could be seen as crude from a traditionalist’s perspective, but it is so delightful and expressive, it appears deliberate and free rather than amateurish. The scenes are always so lively and inviting, and the characters need not much detail to determine their personality. The final book, Madeline’s Christmas, is inconsistent in its style throughout, incorporating new scenes with light colorful washes of paint and an alternative technique for character close-ups. Because it’s part of a collection, it stands apart from the others more strongly.
I highly recommend this collection to all ages, especially older readers who might need a trip down memory lane.
July 31, 2021
The poetic writing, the sketch like illustrations that at times remind me of water color … reading the originals Madeline stories finally was well worth it. I remember watching the cartoon when I was a child, and as I read I could hear that narrator reading the stories to me. Madeline is spunky, brave, and adventurous, qualities we all hope to keep as we grow older but often lose. Her adventures must make fun bedtime stories.
October 22, 2011
A good children's book, but I liked the television show much better.
January 30, 2016
A favourite from my childhood. Enjoyed sharing these stories with my two little men, M. (4) and T. (3).
February 18, 2025
Childhood favorites !
June 8, 2022
Still some of my favorite stories and it is so great that I get to read them to my daughter now!
December 25, 2024
książka mojego dzieciństwa
March 30, 2017
Originally published as "Mad About Madeline", this new edition is simply gorgeous! Growing up, I never got around to reading these cute stories because they were always checked out of our elementary school's library. Love the illustrations and rhyming! This edition also contains some of the author's early sketches and background history of how he created these endearing classics.
January 28, 2025
The illustrations were more colorful and vivid in later tales, but the rhymes not so much. I guess I still prefer the first two.
There's also that unexpectedly clumsy, but luckily short introduction. I suspect the writer didn't know that Little Women was written before Anne of Green Gables. And the part about Eloise growing up to be a childless drunk! Maybe instead of being mean to a fictional character she should have paid more attention to this book, then perhaps she would have noticed that there were still 12 girls at the table on page 50, while Madeline was absent!!
December 1, 2017
This is a lovely children's book. it's a collection of stories centered around the character who shares a name with the stories, and I think a lot of people feel nostalgic toward these stories. I don't really feel the connection others do to the stories, but I do love the cartoon. I am very happy to add this to my growing collection of children's books, and I would suggest that anyone in touch with their inner child pick this up. I especially love that this isn't about princesses getting rescued by a prince. It's about a little girl who loves advventure.
January 4, 2010
If you like Madeline, this is definitely a book you'll want to own. It's all the Madeline books in one. The stories are charming and the illustrations are fantastic (especially if you love Paris). I can't wait until my daughter's old enough for these.
December 8, 2017
I have not read Madeline in YEARS, and it was just like I remembered it. From Madeline getting her appendix removed, to finding Genevieve, and all the adventures with Pepito....this was so nice to revisit. It actually kind of makes me want to see the movie again.
May 20, 2019
I bought this book at a garage sale because I loved Madeline as a little girl. The love hasn’t stopped. These simple stories still fill me with lots of happiness. Madeline is such a fun girl and I am so glad I now own the collection of her books.
January 9, 2019
This collection of stories is amazing. It reminds me of my childhood and how much I appreciated and looked up to Madeline for being different, courageous, and amazing. Love to read it to Emma
January 24, 2021
This was a cute little collection of some Madeline stories. Some were better than others (I didn’t really care for the Christmas one), but they were fun and you can see why they’ve lasted.
December 4, 2024
WHERE HAS MADELINE BEEN ALL MY LIFE. 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 I just read the first two in this collection and they made me laugh out loud.
May 28, 2022
Admission: I bought this because I wanted to be that mom who is reading the cute stories of Madeline to her child. I had a child so I could have those kinds of moments. We often do get those! My son really loves the story of the naughty little boy whom Madeline befriends and then has to train somewhat to behave! ("Madeline and the Bad Hat") The subtle rhyming, the beautiful illustrations, the exotic setting of Paris (usually) all = a great pandemic read. I read these stories to my son while he falls asleep and actually enjoy reading the stories!
November 20, 2017
A Madeline Treasury is cute collection of simple stories aim for younger children. The drawings are child like and simple.
December 30, 2021
Such cute nostalgic stories for me!
February 15, 2023
the smallest one was madeline!!!! <3
January 18, 2008
Mad About Madeline is a lovely hardbound collection of the six Madeline tales published during Ludwig Bemelmans's lifetime. He wrote a seventh story called Madeline in America and Other Holiday Tales that was published posthumously in 1999. Besides the Madeline stories, there is an introduction by Anna Quindlen on how the stories have enriched her life as a parent and at the end of the volume, there are sketches and a brief history of the Madeline stories.
The six stories in this volume are:
* Madeline (1939) (Read my review)
* Madeline and the Bad Hat (1956)
* Madeline's Rescue (1953)
* Madeline and the Gypsies (1959)
* Madeline in London (1961)
* Madeline's Christmas (1965)
My favorite stories from the book are Madeline and Madeline's Rescue because the are the most grounded in reality. Madeline's life may be filled with routine but it seems believable and something that a little girl living at a boarding school in Paris might do. Her world while exotic my children living in California is nothing beyond what and her classmates can walk to.
With the introduction of "the bad hat", Madeline's world opens up to places beyond Paris. In Madeline and the Bat Hat, the story stays to the form Madeline and Madeline's Rescue the introduction of an ambassador's son is a jumping off point for the next two stories.
The next two stories involve travel to places outside of Paris. In Madeline and Gypsies, the travel is to affect the rescue of Madeline and the Bad Hat. In Madeline in London it is to attend the birthday party of the now relocated Bad Hat. Outside the confines of Paris these stories seem to lose some of their charm.
In the Christmas story, Madeline seems noticeably older. Though she and her classmates are back in the house, the story is out of character for the previous ones because Madeline is now in a position of authority. She is left to care for Miss Clavel and the other girls who are all suffering from winter colds. She also appears noticeably older in this story. The Christmas story almost works as a fitting end to the book except for the inclusion of flying carpets. Until now there has been no evidence that magic might actually be real in Madeline's world. For that reason alone, I can't recommend the story as much as I otherwise would.
Overall, though, I enjoyed Mad About Madeline and I recommend the book to fans of Madeline. It is interesting to see how the stories evolve and it is nice to have all but the last one in one convenient volume.
The six stories in this volume are:
* Madeline (1939) (Read my review)
* Madeline and the Bad Hat (1956)
* Madeline's Rescue (1953)
* Madeline and the Gypsies (1959)
* Madeline in London (1961)
* Madeline's Christmas (1965)
My favorite stories from the book are Madeline and Madeline's Rescue because the are the most grounded in reality. Madeline's life may be filled with routine but it seems believable and something that a little girl living at a boarding school in Paris might do. Her world while exotic my children living in California is nothing beyond what and her classmates can walk to.
With the introduction of "the bad hat", Madeline's world opens up to places beyond Paris. In Madeline and the Bat Hat, the story stays to the form Madeline and Madeline's Rescue the introduction of an ambassador's son is a jumping off point for the next two stories.
The next two stories involve travel to places outside of Paris. In Madeline and Gypsies, the travel is to affect the rescue of Madeline and the Bad Hat. In Madeline in London it is to attend the birthday party of the now relocated Bad Hat. Outside the confines of Paris these stories seem to lose some of their charm.
In the Christmas story, Madeline seems noticeably older. Though she and her classmates are back in the house, the story is out of character for the previous ones because Madeline is now in a position of authority. She is left to care for Miss Clavel and the other girls who are all suffering from winter colds. She also appears noticeably older in this story. The Christmas story almost works as a fitting end to the book except for the inclusion of flying carpets. Until now there has been no evidence that magic might actually be real in Madeline's world. For that reason alone, I can't recommend the story as much as I otherwise would.
Overall, though, I enjoyed Mad About Madeline and I recommend the book to fans of Madeline. It is interesting to see how the stories evolve and it is nice to have all but the last one in one convenient volume.
January 16, 2014
My daughter and I enjoyed reading this over the last week or so. I think Elise has read all of the Madeline stories individually, but reading from a collection has been especially nice: you get into a Madeline mood and my daughter was really tuning into the rhythm of the language. Plus this edition has a sweet intro from Anna Quindlen and an essay at the end that discusses the inspiration for the Madeline character.
I've always loved the illustrations in these books - gorgeous. My daughter is a bit too old for Madeline now, but she definitely enjoyed the drawings. I could tell she was paying close attention to them; she noticed that sometimes Madeline has red hair and sometimes blonde, and other little details like that.
In case you didn't know, nothing after Madeline's Rescue is all that good - the rhyming is forced and the stories not as exciting. Madeline and the Gypsies totters on offensive. The language in each story is strange enough that I looked into it and learned that Bemelmans actually did write the books in English. I like the bad rhymes more knowing that, as before I assumed it was poorly translated. Knowing that this is the untranslated writing of someone not writing in his first language makes the word choices interesting rather than annoying.
None of my feelings about these books really matter, though - Madeline would probably just say "pooh-pooh."
I've always loved the illustrations in these books - gorgeous. My daughter is a bit too old for Madeline now, but she definitely enjoyed the drawings. I could tell she was paying close attention to them; she noticed that sometimes Madeline has red hair and sometimes blonde, and other little details like that.
In case you didn't know, nothing after Madeline's Rescue is all that good - the rhyming is forced and the stories not as exciting. Madeline and the Gypsies totters on offensive. The language in each story is strange enough that I looked into it and learned that Bemelmans actually did write the books in English. I like the bad rhymes more knowing that, as before I assumed it was poorly translated. Knowing that this is the untranslated writing of someone not writing in his first language makes the word choices interesting rather than annoying.
None of my feelings about these books really matter, though - Madeline would probably just say "pooh-pooh."
April 27, 2016
Madeline was my favorite little girl character when I was small. I loved the books and the TV show, and even now I still find myself humming the songs, and quoting the rhymes.
I hadn't thought about the collection of stories that I owned in quite awhile, until a friend of mine and I were talking about our favorite books from when we were little girls. I decided to pull the book out and read the stories to my sister. They are as good as I remember, and I loved looking at the art. I appreciate that so much more now than I did as a child, especially since I've been to the sights depicted in the books. My sister has already memorized the beginning lines and will "read" to herself before going to bed.
Madeline is a perfectly spunky little girl and you won't soon forget her adventures.
I hadn't thought about the collection of stories that I owned in quite awhile, until a friend of mine and I were talking about our favorite books from when we were little girls. I decided to pull the book out and read the stories to my sister. They are as good as I remember, and I loved looking at the art. I appreciate that so much more now than I did as a child, especially since I've been to the sights depicted in the books. My sister has already memorized the beginning lines and will "read" to herself before going to bed.
Madeline is a perfectly spunky little girl and you won't soon forget her adventures.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews