Quirky and original for sure. The stories of Madeline have a unique appeal.
The opening is part of the Madeleine tradition,
“in an old house in Paris” … “Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.”
Little ones love the familiarity of that page. In a bizarre twist of fate, Madeline and her girls are flown to London as Peptio is just too sad with out them. A quirky story ensues where they put together their money to buy a horse for Pepito’s upcoming birthday. The scene where the horse has eaten the entire garden tends to draw quite a few giggles and leads quite nicely in to discussions re appropriate presents!
The ending is lovely, with room found for the horse – he is now part of the family of course! The rhyming, although a little clunky in parts, adds rhythm and a certain jovial tone to the book.
Ludwig’s illustrations are plentiful and bright. I loved the almost indulgent pages featuring glorious scenes depicting London’s iconic landmarks.
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