Love from Madeline

November 15, 2021
Madeline is back, ever brave and adventurous and allowing her good nature to shine. Rhymes in simple verses express various ways in which to demonstrate love. Some of the rhymes are tortured, as in coupling spend and friends, and some of the lines are awkward and lack the lively flow and appeal of the original Madeline books--but the sentiment is true. Madeline, whose name does not appear in the text, is the star of the show and demonstrates the book's broad suggestions about kindness with concrete examples (giving someone "a lift" is paired with an image of her riding a scooter with a friend). She also climbs a tree to rescue a kitten, removes a thorn from a lion's paw, comforts a friend whose doll is broken, helps an older person carrying a cane, and warmly greets people. Salerno honors Bemelmans' iconic work but adds a modern sensibility with brightly colored illustrations in thick, black outlines that move across white spaces. Readers will find the facial expressions and body language of Madeline and those with whom she interacts varied and engaging. On her way home at the end of the two straight lines (with Miss Clavel in the lead, of course), Madeline turns to look directly at readers. All the characters present White with the exception of a brown-skinned child on the scooter. Though textually weak, this book provides a welcome Madeline-sighting. (Picture book. 3-8)

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November 5, 2021

PreS-A classic character is revisited in a rhyming ode to love and kindness. The first in a series of new Madeline titles to be published by Viking, this book will charm newcomers with light, sketchy drawings. Bemelmans's work is well emulated here in digitized full-color pages by illustrator Salerno. The book is short: just 12 full-page spreads, each with one line. The text reminds readers to say good morning, to help each other, and to enjoy one another. The story ends with a promise: "No matter where you roam, love is always found at home." In the final spread, Miss Clevel presides over the 12 beds as she has done since the first Madeline book was published in 1939. Madeline has been beloved since then, but this title is not a continuation of the series. Neither is it an introduction for a new audience to the character, or a sneak peek into her world. There is no story here to get a sense of the Madeline we know; she is merely superimposed onto a generic spate of situations. It is not Madeline in this book; it's a picture of Madeline. This title has little to recommend it. VERDICT A nostalgic greeting card of a book with limited potential for circulation in most collections.-Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter Sch., Providence

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