Madame Eiffel

by Alice Brière-Haquet, Csil (Illustrator)

Everyone knows the Eiffel Tower, yet no one knows the love story that led to its construction. Author Alice Bri�re-Haquet and Illustrated by Csil have pooled their creative talents to tell this touching story about overcoming hardship with clever invention fueled by love. Mr. and Mrs. Eiffel are a happy couple enjoying living in the most romantic city in the world, Paris. Until one day, Mrs. Eiffel begins to feel desperately unwell. The experts are unanimous: the only thing that can save her is fresh air. Her husband, a bright engineer, decides he will take matters into his own hands and build a tower that will reach the clouds in an attempt to restore her health. Csil's poetically minimal illustrations in black, white, and pink are incredibly evocative, and Alice Bri�re-Haquet's words are a delight to read aloud.

Genres: Picture Books, France, Childrens, Paris, Love Story, Engineering, Love

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Alice Brière-Haquet vit en Italie. Elle a publié plusieurs ouvrages pour la jeunesse, notamment La princesse qui n’aimait pas les princes chez Actes Sud Junior, ou encore Le ballon de Zébulon chez Auzou, plusieurs fois récompensé. Chez Flammarion, elle est l’auteure des albums Le chat d’Elsa, Une histoire de galette et de roi, Le bonhomme et l’oiseau, Pouce !, Mes lunettes !, et des séries «Collège Art» et «Au secours !

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really unique, retro illustrations but the reading experience was really strange. This was one of the most unique review copies I've ever received in that it had the English translations pasted over the original French. Translated editions are always tricky because so much I feel gets lost in the original meaning, and this definitely felt like a book where that happened. The rhyming also felt trite and unnecessary. Perhaps it was lovely in French, but in English it felt like an afterthought.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if this is the true story behind the construction of the Eiffel Tower. If it is, this book is a great introduction to a piece of architectural art and a sweet all-ages love story. If it isn't, the illustrations are still whimsical without being goofy and the poetical storytelling still delighted me.
Recommended for lovers of architectural drawing, hipster parents who can't take any more Seuss for a while, fans of light bulb-shaped people.

[Ms. Shoshana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe this is better in the original French, but the translation tries to retain some rhyming and it mostly results in text that scans oddly.

This is oddly presented as a true story/urban legend - "rumor has it sometimes at night you can see their shadow appear in the street light" - even though the real Madame Eiffel was named Marie and actually died.

Also, the only thing we know about Cathy is that she's pretty which, ugh. Like give us something about her! Is she funny? Is she kind? Is she a talented musican or artist or something? I want her to be loved for something other than her beauty.

[Mahrin Ferdous · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strong story and fascinating illustrations...but a poorly executed, incoherent translation. The original French text was probably much better.

[Gigi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could rate the illustrations and text separately. The pictures are uniquely done in black and white thin-lined drawings with a bit of pink. The text is an English translation of a French story. I am guessing that perhaps the original text rhymed because the English version tries to rhyme, but it just didn't work for me.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The illustrations have appeal but seem odd for kids. The book itself does not make much sense, tells a fictional story about a real thing, and seems to suggest that the tower cured the woman's depression? or she died there? Or she died and then he took here there? Ok yeah I have no clue.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

not really for kids honestly. The story is sort of confusing and definitely sad.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Come for the pictures, take the story with a grain of salt.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute but just okay! The title made me think it would be the real story of the Eiffel Tower...but alas...earwax.

[Ιωάννα Μπαμπέτα · Rating 5 out of 5]

Μου αρέσουν οι ιστορίες αγάπης. Το παραδέχομαι. Κι όταν πρόκειται για ιστορία αγάπης σε παιδικό βιβλίο, ενθουσιάζομαι.

Ο τίτλος του βιβλίου είναι η κυρία Άιφελ. Όμως, θεωρώ, πως ο πραγματικός ήρωας είναι ο κύριος Άιφελ που αγαπά. Κι είναι μια αγάπη βαθιά κι αληθινή. Μια αγάπη που δεν περιμένει ανταλλάγματα. Όπως πρέπει να είναι όλες οι αγάπες.

Με λίγα λόγια ο Άιφελ είναι ένας μηχανικός πολύ ευτυχισμένος γιατί απλά είναι και πολύ ερωτευμένος. Η τυχερή λέγεται Κάτια. Και λέω τυχερή γιατί ο Άιφελ φτιάχνει για εκείνη γέφυρες, σταθμούς, αστεροσκοπεία και πύργους θαυμαστούς. Ταξιδεύουν μαζί και βλέπουν ένα σωρό πράγματα. Όμως μια μέρα όλα αλλάζουν. Ξαφνικά η Κάτια αρρωσταίνει. Φωνάζει ο Άιφελ τους πιο καλούς γιατρούς όμως δεν γίνεται τίποτα. Κι η Κάτια δυστυχώς δεν έχει διάθεση για παιχνίδια, πόσω μάλλον για ταξίδια.

Η Κάτια όλο και χειροτερεύει. Όμως ο Άιφελ δεν μένει άπραγος. Έτσι πρέπει να κάνει όποιος αγαπά. Για χάρη της φτιάχνει έναν πύργο που τα σύννεφα ακουμπά.

Ξέρουμε πως ο Πύργος του Άιφελ κατασκευάστηκε το 1889 από κάποιον Άιφελ. Είναι σύμβολο ρομαντισμού. Πολλά ερωτευμένα ζευγάρια ταξιδεύουν μέχρι το Παρίσι. Πόσο μου αρέσει λοιπόν η ιδέα να έχει κατασκευαστεί, στ’ αλήθεια, για μια αγάπη.

Οι εικόνες είναι ασπρόμαυρες με λίγες μόνο ροζ λεπτομέρειες. Τα ροζ μάγουλα δίνουν μια ευαισθησία στα πρόσωπα. Αξίζει πραγματικά πρώτα να ξεφυλλίσετε το βιβλίο κοιτώντας μόνο τις εικόνες και στη συνέχεια να διαβάσετε το κείμενο. Με ποιητικές φράσεις λέγονται μόνο όσα χρειάζονται. Η Αργυρώ Πιπίνη, πολύ πετυχημένα, έχει κάνει την απόδοση του κειμένου.

Μετά την ανάγνωση του βιβλίου, ο Πύργος του Άιφελ δεν θα είναι ποτέ ξανά ο ίδιος. Γίνεται το απόλυτο σύμβολο του έρωτα.

Και γιατί να ενδιαφέρει μια τέτοια ιστορία τα παιδιά; Γιατί πολύ απλά τα παιδιά ξέρουν να αγαπούν βαθιά, αληθινά και απόλυτα. Γιατί μόνο οι αγνοί άνθρωποι μπορούν να αγαπήσουν όπως αγάπησε ο Άιφελ την Κάτια. Κι αυτή η αγάπη δεν θα ξεχαστεί ποτέ.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly the only things this book had going for it were the unique illustrations and the fact that it’s based on historical events… until I discovered that this story is completely made up! Why would you write a fictional story about a real landmark and present it as history, with no authors note explaining the true story? In addition, the tale is told in awkward rhyming phrases that are difficult to read fluidly out loud—admittedly it is originally written in French, so maybe this problem is more to do with the translation. But if you can’t make rhyming work smoothly, I would rather have a story told in straight prose. I do love the illustrations, but sadly that’s the only thing I love about this book.

[Hayley Murray-Alvarado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biographical Fiction 2015
This book was fun because of the Eiffel Tower aspect but honestly I just loved how the author used only black, white, and pink in this book. It was beautiful. I would have this in my class library for students to read for interest.

[Britten Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book that tells the story of an engineer and how he builds things for the woman he loves. I found this to be a book of scientific fiction because engineers have to look at things from a mathematical perspective, but from a scientific perspective as well.

[marmix · Rating 3 out of 5]

We picked this one up for it's illustrations. Something in the story may have been lost in translation for me, but my littlest one loved this.

[Katie Stein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Awesome illustrations, but very weird text and story.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eiffel loves his wife Cathy and the two travel the world, until she gets sick. Determined to make her feel better Eiffel builds a tower and takes Cathy to the top.

[kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

not enough explanation there to make sense

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute picture book with a lovely story. This was my first read in my France reading challenge.

[Zahnii (Suzanne) Artis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wished for author’s note
Line drawings
Rhyming
Love story

[Rosemary Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Madame Eiffel: The Love Story Of The Eiffel Tower" by Alice Brière-Haquet with illustrations by Csil is a tale that reimagines a dreamlike and ultimately happier story, using the inspiration of a sad, true one. It is not difficult to create such a sweet fantasy, when the setting is Paris, that most romantic of cities, which I have yet to visit but have often dreamed of myself. The Eiffel Tower, with its reach extending beyond the clouds, is the perfect metaphor for our yearning, our stretching and striving for happiness and light. It is not surprising then that the inspiration for this story is the real-life couple, Gustave Eiffel and his wife.

In the story, Mr. Eiffel is an engineer happily married to "the prettiest girl in Paris," Cathy, who has "a thirst for life." She is his adventurous soulmate, who journeys with him around the world as he "builds bridges, train stations and theaters so grand." But Cathy falls ill. The best doctors cannot help her. Still, she suggests her own remedy. "You could build us a railway that takes us up to the clouds in a blink," she said. And Mr. Eiffel sets out to do just that and the result is, of course, the Eiffel Tower.

In the climax of the book, he carries her in his arms up the floors of the Tower, which reinvigorates and cures her. We are told the couple lived for several more years and that their presence may even be felt at the Eiffel Tower today. "Rumor has it that sometimes at night/you can see their shadow appear in the street light."

But like shadows, Ms. Brière-Haquet's characters are only images cast from the light of the true story, which while much more sorrowful, is beautiful as well. Mr. Eiffel's wife was not named Cathy, but Marguerite. She constantly suffered from poor health, dying suddenly at the age of 32. Mr. Eiffel could not save her as he did in the book. Indeed, the Eiffel Tower was constructed after her death. While she probably did influence his work, she lived on in a much more personal legacy than the famous iron tower - the five children she bore with him. https://books.google.com/books?id=qqi...

While I think it's great source material for literature to draw inspiration from real-life, I would have appreciated an author's note about the Eiffels' real love story. That would have cleared any confusion the readers might have about where the characters' stories diverge from their historical counterparts. Besides, I think it still would have been in keeping with the book's romantic theme, as both stories are ultimately about devotion.

But perhaps Ms. Alice Brière-Haquet & Csil just wanted to give readers the fantasy that is not darkened by death, much like we still want to imagine an enchanting Paris, not a city that is suffering from terrorism. In keeping with that spirit, the illustrations are whimsical, with thin black lines and the occasional use of salmon pink, the color of a valentine. The drawings include a lovely balloon ride over a friendly, magical city. The inhabitants, all of whom have egg-shaped heads (including the Eiffels), are always out for a stroll in top hats, with children and dogs. The buildings have many windows, showing an openness to light and sky. The Eiffel Tower is featured sideways in a two-page spread, which one must rotate, to view it ascending above the clouds. If only we could all rise above our troubles and find that happy ending.

As such, it is an uplifting book for children. The drawings and the rhyme of the story, translated by Noelia Hobeika, are charming. However, I imagine it more as a gift from a besotted admirer to his love. For them, I think the idea that love conquers all, including illness, will resonate the most.

[Taylor B|books.withtay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Madame Eiffel is the true story of how Gustave Eiffel built the Eiffel tower for his wife who was going through depression. He goes to heaven and back just to find something to make his wife feel better and the idea for the tower comes to mind, which is how the story goes in the book. What would have been better is if the author included his process of building the tower instead of jumping straight to the finished product. How did the wife feel about his building the tower for her and how long did it even take? This is not depicted in the book. Maybe the author thought in-depth questions were too hard for children to understand. I did really like the simplistic black-and-white with a hint of pink illustrations in this book.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Eiffel's wife, the beautiful Cathy, falls ill, he builds the Eiffel Tower to cheer her up.

This book is illustrated with black, white, and pink pen and ink drawings on a cream background. The figures resemble bobbleheads, as their heads are very large and their bodies are very small, and many of the images are abstract representations of buildings, towns, staircases, etc. The pictures are definitely interesting as artwork, but they lack the child-friendly warmth I usually look for in a picture book.

The text in this book is somewhat awkward and therefore difficult to read aloud. (This is probably due to the fact that it is a translation.) The story itself is a love story that will tug at the heartstrings of most adults, but is unlikely to interest most young children. (Love stories a la Peter McCarty's Henry in Love tend to be more their speed.) I'm just not sure who the book's true audience is.

At first I thought this story would be an interesting tie-in to an elementary level lesson on the Eiffel tower, but it turns out to be completely fictional, as Eiffel's wife's name isn't even Cathy. The fact that this is not addressed in an author's note anywhere in the book is a problem, and it makes one wonder why this story is necessary at all. Theoretically, it could complement other picture books set in France, such as Madeline, but it seems like it would be a struggle to find a good use for it. While this book would make a nice coffee table decoration for an adult who loves Paris, it is not something I would recommend purchasing for children.

[Gordon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually find something to like about practically every children's illustrated book. This may be the one exception. Madame Eiffel: The Love Story of the Eiffel Tower by Alice Brière-Haquet, with illustrations by Csil is a fictional story about a French engineer whose wife becomes depressed or perhaps ill, and who builds the Eiffel Tower in an attempt to lift her spirits or make her well (it's a bit vague).
My first complaint is that it wasn't necessary to center a make-believe story on an actual landmark. The engineer in the story could've built any grand construction as a show of love for his wife. Why was it necessary to select the Eiffel Tower which has its own interesting origination story with facts that even children would find intriguing? It seems like a disservice to children to give them an historical account for something that isn't at least partially based in truth.
My second complaint is that the story itself - whether or not it is a convoluted history - is a very flat and uninvolving tale.
My third complaint is that the illustrations are just as dull as the story, neither highly imaginative nor beautiful as art.
Perhaps the English language edition that I read fails to capture the spirit of the original French, but ultimately it just seemed like a boring book.

[Christine Turner]

Everyone knows the Eiffel Tower, yet no one knows the love story that led to its construction. Author Alice Briere-Haquet and illustrator Csil have pooled their creative talents to tell this touching story about overcoming hardship with clever invention fueled by love. Mr. and Mrs. Eiffel are a happy couple enjoying living in the most romantic city in the world, Paris. Until one day, Mrs. Eiffel begins to feel desperately unwell. The experts are unanimous: the only thing that can save her is fresh air. Her husband, a bright engineer, decides he will take matters into his own hands and build a tower that will reach the clouds in an attempt to restore her health.
Csil's poetically minimal illustrations in black, white, and pink are incredibly evocative, and Alice Briere-Haquet's words are a delight to read aloud."



Subject: Tour Eiffel (Paris, France) -- Juvenile fiction.
Spouses -- Juvenile fiction.
Subject:
Eiffel, Gustave, 1832-1923-Juvenile fiction.
Geographic Term:
Paris (France) -- Juvenile fiction.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful illustrations, harking back to the 1960s: black and pink on white.

What I don't understand is the story, as it's apparently nearly entirely false. Gustave Eiffel was married, not to a woman named Cathy (or Catherine), but to Marguerite. And while she indeed was sickly, she died in 1877, a dozen years prior to the construction of the Eiffel Tower. So, "Cathy and Eiffel lived happily and well for a long time" just doesn't work, does it? I wish the book didn't have this flaw - I can't understand the point. Curiously, Eiffel's mother also died later in 1877 and her name was Catherine. Still....

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this imaginative telling of the story behind the Eiffel Tower, the engineer Gustave Eiffel is inspired by his love for his ailing wife, Cathy. With a strict palette of black and white with dabs of light rosy red, Csil’s intricate, lacy pen-and-ink illustrations convey Eiffel’s keen attention to detail, along with the allure of Paris and the high-flying ambition of his tower. The effect is romantic and utterly charming, inviting you to look and look at the pages.

-- From "The New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2015"; published on Oct 28, 2015

[Keri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations... I might have enjoyed it more had there been a little more explanation on why the story was created - this made-up story of the Eiffel Tower just seems so bizarre to me without some note from the author about why it was created. And maybe some of the writing is lost in the translation from the French, but it just seemed too disjointed to call it prose or poetry. Not very impressed with this one.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fictionalized love story that leads to the creation of the Eiffel Tower. Text has a lyrical feel to it with well-chosen rhymes and word choices. The story is okay, begins strong, but then Madame Eiffel falls ill and it isn't explained, which was frustrating to me as the reader. I wanted more of an explanation or a different turn of events.

The pink-highlighted pen and ink illustrations are beautiful. PreK-2.

[Cecilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot-wise, it was a cute story about a man who would do anything for his dying wife, but the ending felt forcefully cheerful like the publisher had said, "Make this a happy ending OR ELSE!!"

The rhyme scheme was inconsistent and felt forced in places, which made reading it difficult.

The illustrations feel inspired by the Eiffel Tower, which is cool, but many times the illustrations don't seem to add much to the story or, in a couple instances, make finding the words complicated.

[Teresa Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would you do for the one you love? Eiffel will "build bridges, train stations, and theaters so grand" for his beloved Cathy. Then one day Cathy fall ill. Every day Eiffel struggles to find the thing that will cure his wife. Will he discover it in time to save her? This is a sweet simple story of love.