Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline is one of the best-loved characters in children's literature. Set in picturesque Paris, this tale of a brave little girl's trip to the hospital was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1940 and has as much appeal today as it did then. The combination of a spirited heroine, timelessly appealing art, cheerful humor, and rhythmic text makes Madeline a perennial favorite with children of all ages.

It took Ludwig Bemelmans years to think of Madeline's next adventure after the 1939 original Madeline, but he did it, and the result was Madeline's Rescue, winner of the 1954 Caldecott Medal. One day on a walk through Paris (a "twelve little girls in two straight lines" kind of walk), Madeline slips and falls off a bridge right into the Seine. Everyone feared she would be dead, "But for a dog / That kept its head," saving her from a "watery grave." What choice do Madeline and the girls have but to take the heroic pooch home, feed her biscuits, milk, and beef, and name her Genevieve? Sadly, when Lord Cucuface gets wind of the new dog, he decrees that no dogs will be allowed in the "old house in Paris that was covered with vines," and kicks Genevieve out on the street. Madeline vows vengeance, and the girls scour Paris looking for the pup: "They went looking high / and low / And every place a dog might go. / In every place they called her name / But no one answered to the same." As we've come to expect from Bemelmans, all's well that ends well chez Clavel, and young readers will be tickled by this heartwarming, quirky dog story with a surprise finale. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson

One day the Spanish ambassador moves into the Parisian house next door to Miss Clavel, Madeline, and her 11 classmates. And, His Excellency has a boy! Pepito, as he is named, is not just any boy: according to Madeline, he is a "bad hat"--for starters, he's equipped with an irksome slingshot, he "ghosts," and he boasts. And when Miss Clavel gives him a box of tools to function as an "outlet for his energy," he makes a guillotine for the cook's chickens. ("He ate them ROASTED, GRILLED, AND FRITO! Oh what a horror was PEPITO.") Children will love Ludwig Bemelmans's jaunty rhymes and simple, evocative drawings, and the ferocity with which the feisty Madeline suspects, condemns, and rebuffs the boisterous new boy neighbor. In the end, however, everything comes out right, and we, along with Miss Clavel, can relax. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson

First published in 1950, this classic picture book by the creator of Madeline tells the story of a music teacher and her crotchety landlord who will do anything for peace and quiet. Readers will meet Miss Moore, a sweet and eccentric older woman who moves into an apartment in New York City and, with the help of her students, outwits her landlord, Mr. Sunshine, when he tries to evict her after learning that she intends to run a music school in her apartment. Full of charm, umbrellas, and a little bit of Christmas Eve magic, Sunshine—as the 1950 publication states—is an enchanting tale with the “gentle touch of Madeline, as well as some thoroughly ridiculous situations. [It is] a unique guide to New York City, showing its landmarks as they could only be seen through the eyes of Ludwig Bemelmans.” Perfect for fans of the original Madeline series, Sunshine will delight children and their parents, as well as visitors to and inhabitants of New York City.