Madeline
Madeline is Ludwig Bemelmans's beloved picture book about the smallest and boldest of twelve little girls who live in an old house in Paris under the care of Miss Clavel. Told in bouncing rhyme, the story follows the girls' orderly routines until Madeline wakes one night in pain and is rushed to the hospital to have her appendix removed. Far from frightened, she delights in her scar and her gifts, and the other girls soon want their own appendix out too. Bemelmans pairs the verse with his loose, colorful illustrations of Paris landmarks. First published in 1939, the book won wide affection and a Caldecott Honor, and it launched a series and decades of adaptations. It remains one of the most cherished children's picture books.
What you might want to know about Madeline
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
A brave little girl at a Paris boarding school has her appendix out and charms everyone in this classic picture book.
It was first published in 1939 and went on to win a Caldecott Honor and inspire a long-running series.
Madeline was written by Ludwig Bemelmans, published in 1900 by Viking Juvenile.
Madeline is 1 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Madeline takes most readers under an hour to finish.
Madeline is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.