Madeline in America

Madeline, in all her incarnations over six decades, has remained first and foremost one of "twelve little girls in two straight lines" in an old house in Paris. Now, with news that will astound her many fans, not to mention Madeline herself, she and her 11 cohorts find themselves on their way to Texas, USA. Madeline a wealthy cowgirl? Why not! She handles her marvellous windfall with her usual aplomb, donning denim and boots to hop aboard a horse for a tour of her newly inherited gold mines, stampeding cattle herds, and gushing oil fields. At the end of the day, Miss Clavel prepares to tuck 12 little girls into bed--but wait ... there are only 11! Where's Madeline?Traditionalists need not fear that wealth will corrupt their favourite little orphan. Some surprises are still in store, even for Madeline. While sorting through his grandfather's files, artist and writer John Bemelmans Marciano discovered the manuscript and pencil sketches for this last of the much-loved Madeline series. With great respect, Marciano completed the project with full-colour paintings, and added two more of Bemelmans's holiday classics--"The Count and the Cobbler" and "Sunshine"--to create a collection no Bemelmans and Madeline devotee can do without. (Ages 4 to 104) --Emilie Coulter


Genre: Children's Fiction