Madeline and the Gypsies

I love Madeline books. But this Madeline has ended up on the Banned Book list, and I understand why. Although it was originally written in 1956/57, racial bias and stereotyping is alive and well. The way the author describes the “gypsies” is harmful stereotyping. I would have thought that although a classic, the publishing house might have tried to clean things up, or change it to remove parts like sewing the kids in lion pelts to hide them from their teacher (in effect stealing the children) would have been redone, but I cannot find that to be true. So, while I love Madeline, I think this book can stay in the catacombs from which it came.

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 show more 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

I'm usually a fan of Madeline books.....even despite some forced rhyming and questionable lines.....I still enjoy the overall story and reading experience. My children are fans as well.

I'm also not one who gets overly offended about the politically incorrect things often found in old books....I consider the times and put things in perspective. That said.....the blatant racism and negative tropes about Gypsies in this book were just a bit too much, even for me. This is one of my least favorite in this series.

Madeline and the Gypsies is about two girls Madeline and Pepito who are forgotten by Miss Clavel on the ferris wheel. The Gypsy Mama takes them in and shows them all there is to see behind the scenes of a gypsy carnival. I love the rhyming in this story and how the girls go on an adventure beyond their wildest dreams.

Madeline and the Gypsies features more tales of adventure and mischief for Madeline and her friend Pepito. In this episode, they wind up living every child's dream. They find themselves traveling in a circus with gypsies and performing in an act! In the end they find it's not all it's cracked up to be and are happy to be safe at home after such a crazy journey. This book teaches an important lesson to children dreaming of running away to join the circus. Don't. But seriously, it is a great book that teaches things aren't always what they're cracked up to be.

I think that I looked at this a few times when I was a child. I remember the main characters' cute harlequin costumes. But I don't appreciate it at all now. I just can't suspend the disbelief that these children would truly be able to run away with the circus, and I'm pretty sure the term 'gypsies' is being used inaccurately and disrespectfully here.

Thank you to Little Free Libraries for introducing me to books that I never would see otherwise.

In this story, Madeline and the rest of the girls visit a Gypsy carnival. A storm hits, and the girls leave, but of course, Madeline is missing, along with Pepito, who lives next door to the girls. They were left on top of the ferris wheel in a thunderstorm, so the Gypsy mama had them taken down, and took them in. They were then taught how to be carnival Gypsies. Miss Clavel went to retrieve Madeline and Pepito when she received a post card from them. The Gypsy mama didn't like that too much, so she sewed the two children into a lion costume so they wouldn't be recognized. In the end, Miss Clavel rescues the both of them, and all is well.
This book is simply a tale of Madeline's accidental troublemaking, like the rest of the books in the show more series, but I think there is a lesson to be learned as well. Children getting to do every single thing they want can get old when the frightening feelings of homesickness and worry set in. show less