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. ( )

Cute book. ( )

Cute, cute, cute. Also sad under the childhood dreams ( )

Madeline gets lost on top of the ferris whell with the Ambassador's son and they are rescued by a Gypsy lady who takes them into her troupe. ( )

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. ( )