Mad About Madeline (edición 2001)

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 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! ( )

Contents: Madeline - Madeline's Rescue - Madeline and the Bad Hat - Madeline and t he gypsy - Madeline in London - Madeline's Christmas.

Great for kids! Bedtime stories! ( )

I never really liked Madeline as a child, maybe it was the rhyming. But as an adult I love these books and have enjoyed reading them to my children. ( )

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." ( )