Madeline - Ludwig Bemelmans

In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines

lived twelve girls in two straight lines. 

The iconic phrase above starts one of the most iconic children's books in history. With the announcement of those recognizable 17 words, readers are transmitted to Paris, France to that house with those 12 girls. We watch them break their bread, brush their teeth, and go to bed. It is almost as if we as readers have the opportunity to live alongside Madeline and Miss Clavel for a period of time and to be one of the girls.
The opportunity that I had to write my picturebook presentation and paper on this classic was an eye-opening one. I was able to read so much more into the illustrations and truly appreciate the artist that Ludwig Bemelmans was. I'm also now having daily inner battles debating over whether I should now get vintage prints of Madeline for my future residence, like these. Ludwig Bemelmans was not just a children's book writer and illustrator, but also an artist who has works displayed in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City and in museums in Paris as well. It was interesting for me to see how distinctive his illustrative style is. If he painted or illustrated something and you see it (without knowing he was responsible for it), you know that he painted it.  No artist signature needs to be present. You can tell, just like in this landscape below.

Beyond the beauty of all of Ludwig Bemelmans' artwork and illustrations, the rhyme of Madeline is part of what (I think) draws in children to this magical Parisian world. The rhymes suck you in and then the humor of the story and the spunk of Madeline keep you coming back for more. I was interested to see how Bemelmans came up with the character of Madeline, and there is actually a relatively detailed account of it on his website and on other literary blogs throughout the Internet. I never thought anything about Madeline's signature red hair, but Bemelmans did. All of the other little girls looking identical was purposeful. Her spunk and courage was also meant to serve as an inspiration for little girls everywhere. The website's section on the "History of Madeline" says,

"No doubt about it. Madeline is a gutsy little girl, and that's what makes her such a unique role model in a time when storybook princesses defined femininity for girls. Madeline gave young girls a reason to explore who they were as individuals, even if that meant being a tad disobedient. She gave girls the courage to speak their mind and showed them that there was nothing unfeminine about being smart and strong." (see the rest of the history here) 

I think that this is part of the reason why I loved Madeline growing up. She was never afraid, and I wanted to be more brave, more courageous, more spunky in my childhood and she helped serve as an inspiration.
The plot line of Madeline involves these 12 girls and their journeys through the city of Paris and the familial relationship that they all have with Miss Clavel. Madeline wakes up in the middle of one night with appendicitis, and is rushed to the hospital to have an emergency appendectomy. The little girls come to visit, see Madeline's impressive scar, go home, and all cry out to Miss Clavel that they want their appendixes removed as well. Miss Clavel laughs and reminds them that they should be happy they are all well.
Bemelmans wrote many sequels to Madeline, including Madeline's Rescue and Madeline Lost in Paris, and even after his death, his son has continued to write for him posthumously. There have been movies (the 1998 one that I went to see on the release date - I'm still confused at why she is British) and was a tv show that I adored as a child (here's the first episode - here). Clearly, even over 70 years after the initial publication of this book by Simon & Schuster, Madeline is still incredibly popular and beloved. What a testament to the quality of Ludwig Bemelmans.

And that's all there is. There isn't any more...