Customer Reviews

Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles

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British author Rupert Kingfisher paid his first visit to Paris on a family vacation. We gather this trip took place during his youth as he describes his stay there as time when he had two life changing experiences - he discovered a shop filled with cartoon books and he first tasted anchovies. We also assume that he loved Paris as that seems evident in his descriptions of the city found in this delightfully imaginative tale.

Madeleine is the heroine of our story. She's a sweet young girl who is practically indentured by her parents to her mean, greedy Uncle Lard who owns a restaurant in Paris, the Squealing Pig. Although Madeleine has told her parents of his cruelty they do not believe her and trot off on safari or on a cruise around the world, leaving her to toil for Uncle Lard.

She is only allowed to wash dishes and scrub cookware even though she is a wonderful chef. The food in Uncle Lard's restaurant is abominable, even though he believes it to be grand. He's a fat dictator who orders his staff to smile all of the time, which is difficult to do when each and every one is usually cowering in fear.

One day the Head Chef discovers they are out of pate, which he desperately needs lest he be slaughtered or boiled alive. Eager to leave the kitchen Madeleine volunteers to go and buy some. She decides to take a different route on that day through "narrow lanes and winding alleys." Along the way she sees a long white cat, and believes it to be the same one she has seen "perched on the wall above the dust bins" while she is washing dishes at night. She follows the cat and is led to a shop Then, the most amazing thing happened - she saw the cat stand up on its hind legs, and go inside.

This is a far from ordinary shop run by Madame Pamplemousse who is clothed in black from head to toe and has the unsettling habit of appearing suddenly and then just as suddenly vanishing. When Madeleine tells her she is looking for pate, Madame Pamplemousse gives her a small bottle containing something dark green. The bottle label reads "Pate of North Atlantic Sea Serpent with Green Peppercorn Mustard."

What could that possibly taste like? How would people respond after eating it?

In some ways Kingfisher's story reminds me of "Chocolat," as the emphasis is very much on edibles and their unique effect on people. And, very much like "Chocolat," the characters in Kingfisher's story cry out to be adapted for a big screen. Each of them is unique and so deftly described that they are vivid in the reader's mind's eye. I can see Camembert the cat who each evening shares a bottle of Rose-Petal Wine with Madame Pamplemousse, and the beaked nose Monsieur Langoustine, the city's eminent food critic.

Illustrations, which appear on most pages are little gems in black and white, each amplifying the narrative and further illuminating the characters.

This title is recommended for 9 - 12 years olds - I'm a good bit older and it intrigued me from start to finish. There's something for everyone in Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles.

- Gail Cooke

I cannot pry my second-grader away from this book. She sent me to the library to get a Harry Potter book (her latest obsession in addition to the Narnia Chronicles). I ended up bringing this book home instead. It is an engaging, charming story appropriate for young readers. It provides more of a challenge than Magic Tree House and similar series. I highly recommend this book to parents of children who are strong readers but find books of a sufficient challenge to contain material that is not age-appropriate.

Madeleine must work in her horrible uncle Lard's restaurant each summer, and is allowed to just wash dishes despite her own cooking skills. But when she stumbles on a tiny Paris shop owned by one Madame Pamplemousse, she finds a kindred soul and new hope for her skills. An engaging story of achievement evolves.

Madeleine, neglected by her parents, was sent each summer to work for her uncle, Monsieur Lard. Monsieur Lard ran a restaurant in the centre of Paris called The Squealing Pig. Madeleine would have loved working at The Squealing Pig if she had been allowed to cook. She loved to cook for others, sharing her passion for food.

Unfortunately for Madeleine, at The Squealing Pig, her role was more that of a Cinderella then a Top Chef. She spent her days at the kitchen sink, large stacks of dishes and pots were heaped about her, all covered in filthy grease. If she was very lucky she was allowed to clean out the fridges and empty the bins. On very rare occasions she was allowed to leave to restaurant to collect supplies.

On one such occasion when Madeleine was out in search of a particular pate that was a favourite of Monsieur Lard's, Madeleine was distracted by a cat, and soon found herself in a tiny little shop tucked away in a back alley. There was something very different about this shop, something strange and unusual.

The shelves were all lined with exotic and unbelievable foods, and when Madeleine produced a pate that was something quite special, from this little shop, Monsieur Lard decided to steal it for himself. Is Madeleine able to escape Monsieur Lard's evil plans and discover what is most important?

A charmingly written story, with the traditional 'happily every after' ending. Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles is a colourful and magical fairytale that mixes the strangest of ingredients from your most wild imaginings, such as Tyrannosaurus Rex Tongues, Crocodile Kidneys and Cobra Brains, with a delightfully simple story of courage and hope.

I discovered this book when searching for "chapter" books for my 1st grader at the library. She was just starting to read longer books and so we were stocking up. I lived in France for a year during my college days, and so have an affinity for all things French. When I saw "Madame Pamplemousse" that was all I needed to see, and grabbed the book immediately.

As soon as we began reading it (I read it to her, the level is WAY too hard for a first grader, with lots of glorious vocabulary, too hard to be read by a young grade schooler, but not too hard for them to understand in context), we were both instantly enchanted. The story whisks you away to Paris where you're rewarded with clever imagery, fanciful descriptions and suspenseful, exciting adventure. I HIGHLY recommend this book and the subsequent two: Madame Pamplemousse & the Time Travelling Cafe and Madame Pamplemousse and the Enchanted Sweet Shop. Both are wonderful & equally as fabulous as this one. I only hope that Rupert Kingfisher (clearly a fabulous Brit through & through) will consider continuing the saga with additional books! Madeleine & Madame Pamplemousse are too wonderful to quit after only three novels! :)

This book was an adorable breath of fresh air. Perfect for a parent and a child to read together, or simply for the young at heart.