The Paris skies are gray, so Miss Clavel and the twelve little girls are leaving for brighter weather? spring in Rome. Rome has wonderful sights to see and delicious things to eat, but Madeline also finds an unexpected adventure, involving a thief, a chase, and many, many cats. The first all-new Madeline book in close to fifty years combines a lively story with luminous gouache and watercolor illustrations. Beloved Madeline returns, as brave and irrepressible as ever!
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2—In the first all-new Madeline book in almost 50 years, Ludwig Bemelmans's grandson tries his hand at re-creating the magic and charm of the boisterous little French girl. In this escapade, Miss Clavel and the girls escape the cold, rainy weather in Paris to enjoy spring in Rome. But when their camera is stolen, Madeline races off to catch the culprit. She tracks her down and discovers one of the hiding places of the famed cats of Rome. When the thief, Caterina, lures Madeline into one of her schemes, both girls are taken to the police station. Madeline is reunited with her teacher and classmates and decides to help Caterina stage a "rescue operation" for the cats. After successfully finding homes for all of the felines, Miss Clavel, Madeline, and the girls bid a fond "Ciao!" to Italy. Marciano includes a list of Roman sites found in the illustrations. Missing, however, is a much-needed author's note explaining the history and significance of the more than 300,000 stray cats that live among the city's monuments and ruins. The artwork isn't as sharp and polished as in the original titles, the plot gets muddled, and the rhythm and rhyme of the text are slightly forced and stilted. Nonetheless, libraries with a large Madeline fan base may want to include this new adventure alongside the originals.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
In this sequel to the familiar Madeline picture books written and illustrated by Bemelmans’ grandson, Miss Clavel takes the “twelve little girls in two straight lines” from cold, rainy Paris to warm, sunny Rome. On a sightseeing expedition, they pose in the street while Miss Clavel takes their picture. Suddenly, an Italian girl snatches the camera and runs. Madeline and her dog, Genevieve, give chase through the streets of Rome and make a couple of surprising discoveries before their adventure ends. Though the text breaks down here and there, usually when the near rhymes go too far astray, Marciano does a good job of recapturing the look and the verve of his grandfather’s artwork without slavish imitation. Some of the illustrations are in full color, while others use bold, black lines and two shades of yellow. Marciano’s previous works include the manners book Madeline Says Merci (2001) and the board book Madeline Loves Animals (2005). Madeline fans will welcome this. Preschool-Grade 1. --Carolyn Phelan
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More About the Author
John Bemelmans Marciano is the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans, author of the original Madeline books. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By El Rey Lin
Format:Hardcover
Here's the plot: Madeline goes to Rome and meets up with a girl who steals her camera, robs unsuspecting tourists, and says that she is destitute orphan. Madeline and this girl get nabbed by the police, who wrongly accuse Madeline of aiding and abetting the girl. The girl finally confesses that she is not an orphan and that the only reason she steals is to help some stray cats living in an abandoned house. Madeline and crew work with girl to find homes for the cats, become friends with the girl, and visit the girl at her big beautiful house. The girl does not suffer any consequences for her actions; apparently, her contention that she did it all for the cats is enough to absolve her.
An appropriate story for your pre-schooler/kindergartener? Uh, not quite. What were these people thinking? It's all pretty surprising, because the book is a savvy renewal of the Madeline brand with beautiful artwork that perfectly copies the style of the original. You think they would at least have the business sense to come up with a story that doesn't potentially frighten small children with its depiction of crime, lying, the police falsely accusing and arresting our hero, Madeline, and the notion of poor orphans living on the street.
I still give the book 3 stars, though, because the illustrations are exceptionally good, showing all of the beautiful sights in Rome. It's a nice way to acquaint your children with that city. But you will have to throw in extensive caveats and additional explanations when you read this to them in order to compensate for the problematic story.
An appropriate story for your pre-schooler/kindergartener? Uh, not quite. What were these people thinking? It's all pretty surprising, because the book is a savvy renewal of the Madeline brand with beautiful artwork that perfectly copies the style of the original. You think they would at least have the business sense to come up with a story that doesn't potentially frighten small children with its depiction of crime, lying, the police falsely accusing and arresting our hero, Madeline, and the notion of poor orphans living on the street.
I still give the book 3 stars, though, because the illustrations are exceptionally good, showing all of the beautiful sights in Rome. It's a nice way to acquaint your children with that city. But you will have to throw in extensive caveats and additional explanations when you read this to them in order to compensate for the problematic story.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The charm and energy of the illustrations in the Madeline books never fails to disappoint. John Marciano has carried on the tradition with a sure hand, and while his images honor the tone of his grandfather's marvelous works, they have a light spirit about them which remains contemporary.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am a huge fan of the original Madeline books by Bemelmans. I even like the new cartoon show I have sometimes caught on Saturday morning TV. I wish I would have read this one before I bought it for a 4 year old niece. I did not like the idea of lying and thievery that was presented in the book. It ended well, but in this case I don't think the end justifies the means. I am currently looking for a different gift.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cute addition to Madeline Story Family
Wonderful illustrations of famous sites in Rome with a cute little story to go along. Not a classic along the lines of the original Madeline but a fun story worth reading to your... Read more
Published 4 months ago by knittymcpurl
5.0 out of 5 stars
Madeline book
Daughter is starting to read and loves Madeline, you can't do much better then that. New book just as advertised.
Published 5 months ago by Michael Daly
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite children's books!
I never get sick of reading this to my neice. Lovely story and I love how the verbiage flows.
Published on June 30, 2010 by Mary G. S.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Review: Madeline and the Cats of Rome
Not long ago, and as I perused the children's section for the perfect gift for the girliest of eight year-olds, I spied a book I'd never seen before: Madeline and the Cats of... Read more
Published on April 29, 2009 by AKNickerson
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Kids of Foster City, Ca.
I was asked to read to a first grade class which consisted of 20 six year old boys & girls.
I had lived in Rome for several years, consequently the John Bemelmans Marciano... Read more
I had lived in Rome for several years, consequently the John Bemelmans Marciano... Read more
Published on April 20, 2009 by John Ryckman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Madeline Goes to Rome
He writes just like his grandfather! The story is wonderful. It was delivered on time and in good condition
Published on January 12, 2009 by L. Sandusky
3.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent pictures, questionable story line
Pros:
The illustrations in this book are lovely. The illustrator includes images of many famous monuments, quaint neighborhoods, and important buildings. Read more
The illustrations in this book are lovely. The illustrator includes images of many famous monuments, quaint neighborhoods, and important buildings. Read more
Published on January 9, 2009 by D. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
We Love Madeline!
We were excited to see a new Madeline book in the series. We have enjoyed reading it. Although I must admit I enjoy it a little more than my 26 month old daughter. Read more
Published on November 23, 2008 by B. Walker
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