Mad about Madeline

This contains most (all?) of the Madeline picture books. I had read them before, but it was interesting to read them again all in one go. The first is definitely the best - all about Madeline going to the hospital to get her appendix out. The intro, the rhyming, the art . . . c'est parfait!

Later on, Bemelmans introduces Pepito, their next-door-neighbor; he's creepier than I remember, building a guilliotine to cut off chicken heads ?? Blergh. In Madeline and the Gypsies it was also kind of creepy that they basically get kidnapped. But, I didn't notice when I was younger, and I'm pretty sure most kids don't notice the creepy-factor! We impose such weird adult standards on things that are hand-waved by children. My least favorite is show more Madeline's Christmas. I almost thought it had been written by someone else. The artwork is even sketchier than usual and the concept of a Christmas hobo/genie is pretty uninspired, in my humble opinion.

Anyway, the artwork throughout the collection is absolutely lovely and wonderful and iconic. Madeline herself is feisty and lovable - one of the prototypes for spunky little girl characters in picture books! show less

A great compendium of Madeline. The verse is memorable and the familiarity of the openings in all of the stories welcomes you back to the old house in Paris. Unfortunately, although this is billed as the "complete" Madeline, it does not include "Madeline in America."

I love Madeline. I always have and I was glad to find this book once again when going through my things. Madeline will always hold a special place in my heart.

I know Madeline is a classic childhood story, and that years of children have enjoyed these books. But, I don't like them. They seem trite and odd and nonsensical - but not in a whimsical childlike way but in a author-on-drugs sort of way. Even the bright and colorful illustration didn't help! The first book was not too bad, but they went downhill fast. Boring, weird, and strange - not my cup of tea. I'm sure others will continue to enjoy these stories, but as for me - I don't think I'll introduce them to my future kids less I be forced into reading them repeatedly.

I do love the original Madeline story. It’s one I’ve read so much that I’ve memorized it, much to the confusion of the children whenever I decide to ‘read’ it without even holding the book.

All of these other Madeline stories are new to me and while some of them get quite frankly rather weird and there are a number of rhymes that are rather a stretch... they’re still wonderful little stories to read.

A good bedtime book to read to/with children.

Here, collected in one handsome volume, are all the adventures of Madeline, a fearless little girl full of mischief and vitality who is one of the world's most popular and beloved fictional characters. Madeline, which was first published in 1939, and its five sequels have charmed generations of readers, and become true classics. In each of these books, Bemelmans' humorous verse, his immortal characters-Miss Clavel, Pepito, the magician, the others-and his wonderful, whimsical drawings of Paris combine to create a memorable reading experience for people of all ages.Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anna Quindlen has written an introduction to the collection, which also includes "The Isle of God," an essay by Bemelmans on how he invented show more Madeline, and never-before-published working sketches of Madeline, as well as photos of the Bemelmans family. show less

This is one of my favorite books, and could be used to help children relate to their problems or challenges that life is giving them. It's colorful and full of adventure!