Madeline's Rescue (Viking Kestrel picture books) (Hardcover)

by Ludwig Bemelmans (Author, Artist) "In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines..." (more)
Key Phrases: Miss Clavel

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
It took Ludwig Bemelmans years to think of Madeline's next adventure after the 1939 original Madeline, but he did it, and the result was Madeline's Rescue, winner of the 1954 Caldecott Medal. One day on a walk through Paris (a "twelve little girls in two straight lines" kind of walk), Madeline slips and falls off a bridge right into the Seine. Everyone feared she would be dead, "But for a dog / That kept its head," saving her from a "watery grave." What choice do Madeline and the girls have but to take the heroic pooch home, feed her biscuits, milk, and beef, and name her Genevieve? Sadly, when Lord Cucuface gets wind of the new dog, he decrees that no dogs will be allowed in the "old house in Paris that was covered with vines," and kicks Genevieve out on the street. Madeline vows vengeance, and the girls scour Paris looking for the pup: "They went looking high / and low / And every place a dog might go. / In every place they called her name / But no one answered to the same." As we've come to expect from Bemelmans, all's well that ends well chez Clavel, and young readers will be tickled by this heartwarming, quirky dog story with a surprise finale. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson

Product Description
The lively adventures of the twelve famous little girls and Genevieve the dogtake readers once more to Bemelmans' unique and delightful Paris. A CaldecottAward Book. Full-color illustrations.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 50 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile; First Edition edition (April 3, 1953)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670447161
• ISBN-13: 978-0670447169
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,181 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #7 in	Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > Book Characters > Madeline
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Justly called classic, July 21, 2000

By	kennedy19 "kennedy19" (wakefield, ma USA) - See all my reviews

This is probably my favorite of the "Madeline" series for kids. Artistically it is beautiful, mixing expressive and energetic line drawings with the occasional full-color painting quite effectively. The story mixes very comic elements (like the girls all fighting over who will have the dog sleep on their bed, while their harried nurse keeps getting up in the night as always) and elements of true poignancy, like when the dog is lost. We see Madeline in her window looking at the empty streets, sighing "Oh Genevieve, where can you be? Genevieve, please come back to me." The direct, sad, but unsentimental tone of this moment is really moving. Overall, a most satisfying tale indeed, both in story and in art, with a happy ending that is sure to please.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A long-time favorite!, March 5, 2005

By	carolyn "shopperextrodinaire" (Canal Winchester, OH) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Madeline's Rescue (Paperback)

My sisters and I loved this book when we were small and I'm having fun reading this book to my little one. Poor Madeline, always ornery, never learning, falls into a river and a dog rescues her. It's very sweet to see how the girls fight over the dog but, when she gets out one night and returns, there was enough "hound to go around," as the book says when dear Genevieve has a litter of puppies, one for each girl. This is a darling classic and quite worthy of the Caldecott Award it received.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Madeline's Rescue, October 2, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Madeline's Rescue (Paperback)

Madeline's Rescue is about a little girl named Madeline who lives in a shelter with 12 other girls. She was not afraid of anything until one day she fell in the water, and a dog jumped in and saved her. They decided to keep the dog and name it Genevieve. And the struggles in this story teach kids to stand up for what they believe in even if other people think that you are wrong. Its for kids about 3-7 because its just one of the many wonderful children's books that is a great bedtime story because it never gets old!