Customer Reviews

Madeline and the Cats of Rome

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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. I think she will quickly grow to love Madeline just as I have always loved her.

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.

Pros:

The illustrations in this book are lovely. The illustrator includes images of many famous monuments, quaint neighborhoods, and important buildings. I really enjoyed sharing these pictures of my favorite city with my children.

Cons:

The story is cute and ends well, but at one point a the parents of a missing girl fear she is dead. While the text rhymes and the story itself is not dark, my non-toddler children were a little bit disturbed by this portion of the book. Since it is most parents' worst fear to lose their child (and fear they are dead), it was a bit disturbing to me as well. In any case, the ending is very cute and overall it is an enjoyable book.

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.

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 book "Madeline And The Cats of Rome" appealed to me. It is a very well put together work with wonderful art work which is true to the city.
The children loved it and had many questions and opinions about the city and the cats.
They all seemed to thoroughly enjoy the tale and wanted to talk about it, after the reading.
For me, it was a very rewarding experience to see the children enjoying themselves being transported to a beautiful place with an exciting story about other children and the famous cats of Rome.
I give it an AAA + Sincerely, John Ryckman, San Francisco, Ca.

I never get sick of reading this to my neice. Lovely story and I love how the verbiage flows.

He writes just like his grandfather! The story is wonderful. It was delivered on time and in good condition

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 Rome. As a child, I loved the Madeline books by author Ludwig Bemelmans. I knew those hallmark opening lines by heart, and I loved those twelve little girls in two straight lines. So, I was a bit confused to see a title I'd never seen before.

But there's no need for confusion: the new Madeline book is by John Bemelmans Marciano, grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans. John Marciano strives to pick up where his famous grandfather left off and provide another generation of readers with more Madeline adventures...

To read my entire review, visit my home blog:
http://aknickerson.blogspot.com/2009/04/madeline-and-cats-of-rome.html