Madeline means a lot to us, partly because we grew up with it, and partly because on our kid's stomach is also a scar - his guts were like all in the wrong place or whatever - so it has Special Meaning for us. On a recent morning the grandmothers got into a contest: who can remember more of Madeline by heart. This is one of James Mustich’s 1,000 Books to Read Overall, a delightful children’s story and a quick fix for all those who love rhymes. What if Papa is supposed to represent God? What if Madeline never survived her operation and she died? Miss Clavel ends the book by saying, “Good night, little girls! Thank the lord you are well! And now go to sleep!” This makes me wonder….or maybe I have been reading way too many books. However, when Madeline is recovering from her operation, there is a mountain of presents from Papa. This gives me the impression that Madeline is at an orphanage. The leader of the girls appears to be a Miss Clavel who is dressed as a nun. In the beginning of the book, we find Madeline in “an old house in Paris” as one of twelve girls. This morning, an alternate ending came to mind. Now, I have read this book probably a dozen times. I always have to give props to an author who depicts women as strong and no nonsense. Madeline is the bravest girl of them all when she falls ill.

This classic children’s story is set in Paris, and the illustrations of France’s most iconic landmarks are top notch. This might be pedestrian, but there is just something about rhyming that gets me every time.

Madeline in London by Ludwig Bemelmans