Madeline and her favorite companion in mischief, Pepito, embark on their wildest adventure yet. When ghostly moans lead them to the attic of the old house in Paris, they discover Felix de La Morte, who has lingered there for hundreds of years, waiting for the return of a certain comet. With the comet due to return the very next day, the poor fellow’s telescope has been stolen by mean Lord Cucuface, and it is up to Madeline and Pepito to get it back. A nighttime trip across Paris, a midnight apparition, and all is happily resolved in time for the three new friends to view the comet on a starry night.
- 12.25" H x 9" W
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
all ages
By Rosalie Nocera
My children loved MADELINE. They loved reading the books over and over, enjoying the rhyming especially. Even into their early teens. For example, if they spied a copy of the book lying nearby, they could not stop themselves from picking it up and going through it page by page, with smiles and satisfaction, not to say, delight! I did not know that Ludwig Bemelmans' grandson was now writing about Madeline. I can't wait to get copies of his work to enjoy, and to compare with his grandfather's. So, although the publisher may describe MADELINE as a book for 3 to 5 year olds, I would say it is a book for all ages. My age is 85, and I am drawn to MADELINE as strongly as ever. My thanks to National Public Radio for this morning's report and interview with John Bemelmans.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.As charming as its predecessors
By Daryn Eller
I think the Bemelmans Marciano may be a better rhymer than his grandfather. My 9-year-old loved it. Hope he publishes more.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
A great new tale with Madeline
By Cats In Space
I recently attended a wonderful yearly event, the Princeton Children’s Book Festival. This is a day when over 50 authors and illustrators come to Princeton, NJ and sit outside the library at tables with big stacks of their books just waiting to be signed for eager children (and adults). While maneuvering through the crowds, which seem to get bigger every year, a Madeline book caught my eye. I grew up reading about the French orphan and her many adventures, and I thought surely the author isn’t here. He can’t still be alive. Those books were old when I was young. But there was a gentleman sitting at the table in front of several Madeline books, so while he chatted with a child and parent, I picked a book up and flipped to the “about the author” portion on the back flap. Here I read that this man, John Bemelmans Marciano, is grandson to Madeline’s original creator, Ludwig Bemelmans, and “carries on the Madeline legacy.” So I purchased a copy of Madeline and the Old House in Paris and thought I’d see how it compared to the Madeline stories I knew and loved.Marciano has used the familiar characters, including the titular Madeline, Miss Clavel, and neighbor boy Pepito. In this story, the head of the school where Madeline lives (“the old house in Paris” referred to in the title), Lord Cucuface, comes to visit and takes a telescope he finds in the attic. Later that night, awakened by a strange noise, Madeline leads her classmates back to the attic and finds a ghost. The ghost reveals himself to be Felix de Lamorte, and the telescope Lord Cucuface took belongs to him. He needs it back so he can witness a comet that only comes every 221 years. Madeline and Pepito devise a plan to scare Lord Cucuface and return Lamorte’s telescope to its rightful owner in time to see the comet. I enjoyed having a new Madeline adventure to read and was pleased with Marciano’s creation. His artwork is very similar to Bemelmans’, including some illustrations entirely in yellow, black, and white. He uses the same rhyming style in his text, and it reads well. Reading this book put a smile on my face as I recognized the rhythm and characters of my childhood. Though the story involves a ghost, he is not in the least bit scary, and I doubt that young children will be frightened by this book. Fans of Madeline should welcome this and the other new stories Marciano has lovingly created.
