Madeline and the Gypsies

Madeline and Pepito find themselves left behind when Miss Clavel and her class visit the local carnival one day, and are taken in by the gypsies, who feed them strong drugs and incorporate them into their circus act. As Miss Clavel agonizes about their fate, the two friends lead a carefree, adventure-filled life, one with few annoying chores or obligations - no brushing of teeth! no going to bed on time! - and plenty of fun. Every new experience palls eventually, however, and the two eventually contact Miss Clavel, who immediately sets out to collect them. The gypsy mother, on the other hand, being determined to keep them, decides to disguise them (together) as a lion...

I sometimes find it a little difficult to credit that, although other maliciously destructive myths about various racial, ethnic and religious minorities - Jews kill Christian babies (the Blood Libel) in esoteric blood rites! Africans are black because they are the descendents of Ham (the Curse of Ham), and naturally fit for slavery! - have been rejected, the idea of Gypsies (Romani) as dirty, carefree vagrants who kidnap non-Rom children persists as an "entertaining" trope in our literature, with few questions asked. I feel certain that, if a children's picture-book promoted either of the other two ideas mentioned above, there would be an instant outcry. Here, however, reviewers speak of the "charm" of the artwork, and the "fun" of the story. Absolute Piffle! Leaving aside the lunacy of the stereotype itself - how and why a group of people who, throughout their long and troubled history in Europe, in which they have variously been enslaved, forbidden from owning land or participating in specific professions, and deliberately targeted for extermination in the Nazi Final Solution, would have the desire (let alone the means) to take on other people's children, has never been clear to me - and ignoring all ethical concerns, Madeline and the Gypsies is just a poor story, with a clunky, awkward text (as with its predecessors, I found many of the rhymes here rather forced, and the rhythm somewhat off), and rather drab artwork.

Although I'm not really a fan of the Madeline books, this is the first one I've actively disliked. Utter dreck. ( )

One of the many books following the adventures of Madeline, the smallest of twelve little girls under the instruction of Miss Clavel, a nun who runs their boarding school. In this book, Madeline and the neighbor boy, Pepito (son to the Spanish ambassador) get caught at the top of a Carnival's ferris wheel in inclement weather. Left alone and forgotten after the carnival closes, they are helped down from the ferris wheel by traveling Gypsy performers. Madeline and Pepito travel with the Carnival; there is no school, they do what they please, and learn the art of performance. When they send word to a distraught Miss Clavel to let her know they are safe, Miss Clavel sets out to search again for the children with renewed hope. Her search is hindered when the Gypsy mother disguises the two children, for whom she has developed affection, in a lion's suit. The children find their way back to the carnival, as a lion, in time to perform; and find sitting in the front row, Miss Clavel and the rest of the girls. The group is reunited, and Madeline returns with the girls, happy to be home again at last.

This is another book that serves best as a basis for discussion about the elements of literature and creative writing. Ludwig Bemelmans has created a very famous character with Madeline, and the story of her adventures are familiar to children around the world. Madeline was a character in a book, then a cartoon, and found her way into a full-length feature film. Madeline is a testament to Ludwig Bemelman's ability to create lovable, memorable characters within entertaining, imaginative storytelling. Students could be challenged to brainstorm and create their own "memorable character," to come up with possible "adventures" for their character, and explore the various ways they could use those "adventures" to develop a character within a story. ( )

Pepito invites the girls to a Gypsy Carnival that is in town. A rainstorm puts the girls' fun to an end, and they have to go back home. Madeline and Pepito get left behind on top of the Ferris Wheel. The gypsies get them off the Ferris Wheel and kidnap them to Fountainblue. When the gypsies get word that Miss Clavel is coming to rescue the children, they sew the kids in a lion suit so Miss Clavel can't find them. Miss Clavel does find them, however, and takes them home! This books shows the love an adult has for a child (or children) and how a loving adult will do anything for that child. ( )

It's not entirely clear whether Madeline and Pepito get lost or kidnapped in this story. I find it pretty dated and alarming. ( )

I really liked this book and it has great pictures. I can understand how terrifying it must have been when Miss Clavel realized that Madeline was missing. This book was very adventurous and everyone falls in love with Madeline. You could have your class tell about a time when they were lost or if they have ever been to a circus or carnival. ( )