Madeline at the White House

by John Bemelmans Marciano

Overview

Bestselling and beloved Madeline visits the Oval Office, just in time for the presidential election season.

Readers will see Washington, D.C., as never before, when Madeline takes a midnight sightseeing tour on a magic carpet of cherry blossoms. Invited to the White House by Candle, the president's lonely only daughter, for the annual Easter Egg hunt and roll, Madeline and the other little girls have a rollicking good time, and introduce Candle to the joys of occasionally breaking the rules. With a bouncy read-aloud text and gorgeous watercolor pictures, Madeline at the White House is in the best tradition of the beloved Madeline books.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780670012282
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/25/2011
Series:	Madeline Series
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 12.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

John Bemelmans Marciano carries on the legacy begun by his grandfather, Ludwig Bemelmans, author and illustrator of the Madeline books, with stunning watercolor artwork and playful, energetic storytelling. John Bemelmans Marciano is the author and illustrator of several other books including Delilah and Bemelmans: The Life and Art of Madeline’s Creator. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

When her class visits the White House Easter Egg Roll, Madeline befriends the lonely first daughter, who's nicknamed Candle. Madeline, her magician (who appeared in Madeline's Christmas), and the 11 other girls, play with Candle in her room, hunt Easter eggs, and eat desserts until they have tummy aches. But Madeline and Candle bend the rules by staying up all night and getting a memorable nighttime ride on a "magic tide of cherry blossom," courtesy of the magician. Marciano's paintings are faithful to those of his grandfather, but his heroine (and story) feel more wispy than spirited. Ages 3–5. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

In Madeline at the White House, the iconic Parisian school girl journeys to the nation's capital, thanks to John Bemelans Marciano, the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans, who created the original Madeline (1939) and five companion titles. With this new book, Marciano finishes a project begun by his grandfather and Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961, a year before Bemelmans' death. After years studying his grandfather's illustrative technique, Marciano is able to capture the playful, spontaneous "look" of the earlier books. In this rhyming tale, Madeline, her eleven compatriots and teacher Miss Clavell visit the young lonely daughter of the President of the United States. When night falls, the French miss and First Daughter embark on a magical tour of Washington, D.C., and glimpse the "awesome" cherry blossoms. Kids will get a big kick out of seeing familiar buildings—the Lincoln Memorial, Capitol and Washington Monument—from the perspective of these two lively girls. The end papers show the twelve French students and Miss Clavell paying their respects at Arlington Cemetery, a fitting tribute to Bemelmans, who is buried there. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum

Children's Literature - Mary Quattlebaum

K-Gr 2—This book is written by the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans, based on some incomplete work uncovered after Bemelmans's death. Those notes have been used as the basis for this adventure about young Penelope "Candle" Randall, the president's lonely daughter. When her mother is unable to return home for the annual White House Easter celebrations, she sends Candle a letter saying that the daughter of a friend and her classmates will be arriving from Paris to celebrate in her place. The girls arrive with Miss Clavel and a surprise guest, Madeline's magician, a rabbit. After enjoying the day with her new friends, Candle sadly realizes they will all be leaving in the morning. The magician conjures a special trip on a wave of cherry blossom [sic] for Candle and Madeline. They escape the confines of the White House and fly around the city, returning just in time for Madeline to catch her plane. The illustrations are reminiscent of the original art. The text, however, does not have the crisp snap of Bemelmans's rhymes. Nor does it have the impish humor that made Madeline such a favorite. This book focuses more on Candle than on the title character, and that is a distraction. The old Madeline would have gotten into more mischief if let loose in the White House. Still, it's wonderful to see her again, even if the story is a little thin.—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME

School Library Journal

"In an old white house in Washington, D.C., / Lived as lonely a girl as there can be...." Madeline and her cohorts revisit America in the latest sequel from Bemelmans' grandson—this time to join the president's solitary daughter for Easter egg–rolling on the White House lawn. That night (as Miss Clavel and the other girls sleep off the effects of too much party food), Penelope and Madeline enjoy an aerial nighttime tour of the city's monuments courtesy of the magician introduced inMadeline's Christmas. As before (Madeline and the Cats of Rome, 2008, etc.), Marciano closes with a note linking this spinoff to his grandfather's unfinished work. He also pairs verse that channels his esteemed progenitor's in tone and occasionally forced rhyme to illustrations that make a close but not exact match in style. Sandwiched between endpaper views of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Bemelmans is buried in Arlington), this homage offers a reasonably seamless continuation of the classic series, far closer in lilt and spirit than, for instance, the recent spate of Corduroy and Curious George travesties.(Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews

"Kids will get a big kick out of seeing familiar buildings—the Lincoln Memorial, Capitol and Washington Monument—from the perspective of these two lively girls."—Children's Literature

"Marciano closes with a note linking this spinoff to his grandfather's unfinished work . . . This homage offers a reasonably seamless continuation of the classic series"—Kirkus Reviews

 

From the Publisher