Ludwig Bemelmans (1898–1962)

I approached this book with some diffidence, humour, and the appropriate subjects of humour, often being very much of their time. The opening anecdotes were lightheartedly funny sketches of workers and patrons of the hotel, though there were parts that justified my reservations. Then, about ⅓ in, without losing the bantering tone, Bemelmans introduced some darker, even sinister, characters and situations, that might have raised eyebrows in polite society: Professor Gorylescu, the table show more magician, smoulders with a seedy loucheness that hints of more troubling proclivities.

Kalakobé, the one Black character, could have been a problem, and while Bemelmans does exoticise him somewhat, he presents him with dignity, noting that Kalakobé refuses the description "negro" and insists on his being "African".

There's a nasty incident at the end of the first anecdote which had raised my hackles, however, Bemelmans deftly weaves this into his final story: very satisfying. "Raconteur" fits Bemelmans well, and I had the feeling of hearing these stories in a corner of a dimly-lit dining hall after all the patrons have left, around a littered table with a stained cloth, waiters in shirt sleeves with unbuttoned collars, smoking cigar stubs and finishing off the opened wine and brandy bottles, regaling each other with the petty demands of diners and unwarranted tyrannies of the maître d'hôtel. show less

This has to be one of the most bizarre, yet gorgeous, bits of PR ever produced. CBS, in the post-war era, attempted to develop its own system of colour television broadcasting, in competition with RCA. There was a long series of hearings held before the FCC, and CBS attempted to persuade the public, and the regulators, that its system was superior to black-and-white television and other, competing systems. Enter Bemelmans, who produces this little story. The glimps (who look like rabbits) show more live near each other. The lady (very charming in design) enjoys colour television. The gentlefur has black-and-white television, and he sees, gradually, that the lady has the better of the bargain. He even tries his own system of colour, and it doesn't work. Eventually, he joins the lady, and they live quite happily ever after. CBS eventually lost the fight with RCA, and this book seems to be virtually forgotten. It's not mentioned in most catalogues of Bemelmans' work. But it has his charm and wit in abundance. show less

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 show more 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. show less

This absolutely adorable book stars Madeline, who's basically the tiniest and most fearless little French girl you'll ever meet! She lives in this old house in Paris with eleven other little girls, all lined up in perfect rows with their matching yellow hats, but not Madeline, she stands out with her bright red hair and no fear! The story really takes off when poor Madeline gets an appendicitis in the middle of the night. But she doesn't freak out! She's is brave and cool about it, even when show more she has to go to the hospital. The best part is how all the other girls get jealous of her hospital room and all the attention she gets. What makes this book so special is how it takes what could be a pretty scary situation for kids (going to the hospital) and turns it into this amazing adventure. Madeline is tiny but mighty. show less