Madeline and the Old House in Paris

Madeline

by John Bemelmans Marciano

Madeline and her favorite companion in mischief, Pepito, embark on their wildest adventure yet. When ghostly moans lead them to the attic of the old house in Paris, they discover Felix de La Morte, who has lingered there for hundreds of years, waiting for the return of a certain comet. With the comet due to return the very next day, the poor fellow’s telescope has been stolen by mean Lord Cucuface, and it is up to Madeline and Pepito to get it back. A nighttime trip across Paris, a midnight apparition, and all is happily resolved in time for the three new friends to view the comet on a starry night.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, France, Fiction, Classics, Ghosts, Paris

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

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.

Reviews

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect person to continue Madeline, John Bemelmans Marciano is Ludwig Bemelmans grandson. This keeps the lovely rhyme and rhythm of the original and the art style is similar as well. A playful plot with Pepitto the Bad Hat makes this very fun and a great addition to the original stories.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun Madeline book, good for Halloween time and cute rhymes!

[Anna Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ghostly Madeline entry.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favourite of all the Madeline books. I love that there is an actual ghost and that he is so marvelous. Delightful!

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some series thrive. Others shouldn't continue. The first few books in the Madeline series were charming. This one fell short.

The series was better when Ludwig Bemelmans wrote it.

[False · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this knowing I am not reviewing the book, but rather leaving notes and asides to remind me of my readings year to year. Much has been lost in terms of childhood on, but perhaps today’s children can use the tools now available and be more vigorous in their record keeping.

This book was written by original creator Bemelman's grandson. I should add as an aside, that he never met his grandfather. Just a bit of trivia. While technically he can draw, his drawings, which ape his grandfather's style, lack a certain....freedom of the pen and paint that made the original books so charming. I've read all of the Madeline books now, including Bemelman's memoir and a biography and other things pertaining to his life in the world of hotels and bars.

A long limousine pulls up and it's Lord Cucuface "the nosy head of the school." What did that book say about love and kindness? So much for that etiquette book you wrote, John. He's going around the rooms and goes to the locked attic where he find a "magnificent telescope" and "rubs his hands greedily." Are you sure we aren't still in the White House?

Pepito comes by to scare the girls, but they discover a true ghost in the attic...Felix de Lamorte...and he's upset because his telescope has been taken, so the children disguised as ghosts haunt Lord Cucuface demanding he return the telescope, which he does, and they cross through the dark city via the Seine and return the telescope (as Mr. Death says "my best loved toy?" It's an adult telescope. What is childish about it?) Anyway, Pepito and Madeline go to the roof and watch a comet pass, forgetting the astronomer fell off the roof the last time he was up there. That's how he died. Now lets add up the discrepancies and violations in this book.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clone of a clone, I think yet again. Because Grandson John is at it again, offering a new Madeline book in the spirit of Ludwig Bemelmans, the original creator of the highly successful series.

On the front cover, most of the 12 girls stand in two straight lines. Which would be weird for little girls living today (as would be their outfits from 100 years ago). But one girl stands apart. Standing on one leg. Balancing on the rooftop.

Quick Pop Quiz:

Is this unusual personage:

A. Mary Poppins
B. Madeline

You guessed? Wow.

What else may entice you to read this picture book? The far-fetched story includes a telescope!!!

Okaaay. I'll still give this book FIVE STARS. If Madeline, and only Madeline, will do... this book hits all the usual marks, including a happy ending. (As always, no spoilers from me, no no.)

[Mikel Flatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I can remember reading the "Madeline" books as a child. This one in particular follows the students discovering a ghost in their home. The ghost built their home and is upset because his telescope has been stolen. Madeline along with a fellow student are on a mission to give the ghost back his telescope. This story is very interesting for young children and it follows a rhyme scheme as well.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the Madeline books, but still charming. The rhymes are always easily flowing in these books, and the illustrations are fairly clear. This could be an interesting addition to a storytime on space and/or comets, if the children are old enough to understand and handle the ghost as a character.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute book in the "Madeline" series. I've never read this one before, and I loved the plot and characters. It would even be perfect to integrate into science/space/astronomy lessons, as well as a Halloween theme. Kids will get a good chuckle out of this, especially at "Lord Cucuface." Pooh Pooh!

[Jocelyn Hee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. A delightful story that made me laugh. Sometimes humour is created through rhyme and I feel this books does that. It would not have been the same story if it was written otherwise.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Madeline, but a good one if you love reading aloud in many voices and accents. Features Lord Cucuface, the greedy lying overseer of the Old House in Paris, the ghost of the house's builder, the fake ghost designed to trick Lord Cucuface, and of course, Madeline.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good as the original books by Ludwig Bemelmans! So glad that there's more of Madeline's fun adventures!

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story that stays in line with the original books. I'm glad John is carrying on his grandfather's work.

[M. Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun new addition to the Madeline series with a little cosmology thrown in.

[Carolyn Jeziorski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an ok book. I found it while organizing the library. Some of the rhymes seemed a bit forced. The story is fun though, with a little spookiness.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

[Little Seesaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little spooky Madeline book with a real ghost. A great read for Halloween.

[Irina H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madeline meets a ghost in Paris. Oui, oui!

[Erin (bookwitchenergy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 2013, this was written by the original author's grandson, and the style is nearly indistinguishable from the original. Kudos! I giggled throughout; it was an enjoyable read!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the same as the original Madeline stories but not bad.

[Sarah Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had never read this one before! Very fun but different from the others with its touch of mysticism

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full Halloween adjacent book about a ghost.

[Sohaiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood favorite

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie found this hilarious.

[Lee Newman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute continuation of the sties. A bit of a spoiler, but it is a ghost story… this is good to know going in for questions and if your child is upset by such things.

[Cece · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute ghost story (didn’t necessarily think that was possible). I love the rhymes and the illustrations.

[The Liliverse Bookish Vibes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE all the Madeline books, I have since I was little with the show, and I will continue to adore these stories forever!!!

[Heidi Ostergaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know there was other Madeline books, this was fun!

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently attended a wonderful yearly event, the Princeton Children’s Book Festival. This is a day when over 50 authors and illustrators come to Princeton, NJ and sit outside the library at tables with big stacks of their books just waiting to be signed for eager children (and adults). While maneuvering through the crowds, which seem to get bigger every year, a Madeline book caught my eye. I grew up reading about the French orphan and her many adventures, and I thought surely the author isn’t here. He can’t still be alive. Those books were old when I was young. But there was a gentleman sitting at the table in front of several Madeline books, so while he chatted with a child and parent, I picked a book up and flipped to the “about the author” portion on the back flap. Here I read that this man, John Bemelmans Marciano, is grandson to Madeline’s original creator, Ludwig Bemelmans, and “carries on the Madeline legacy.” So I purchased a copy of Madeline and the Old House in Paris and thought I’d see how it compared to the Madeline stories I knew and loved.

Marciano has used the familiar characters, including the titular Madeline, Miss Clavel, and neighbor boy Pepito. In this story, the head of the school where Madeline lives (“the old house in Paris” referred to in the title), Lord Cucuface, comes to visit and takes a telescope he finds in the attic. Later that night, awakened by a strange noise, Madeline leads her classmates back to the attic and finds a ghost. The ghost reveals himself to be Felix de Lamorte, and the telescope Lord Cucuface took belongs to him. He needs it back so he can witness a comet that only comes every 221 years. Madeline and Pepito devise a plan to scare Lord Cucuface and return Lamorte’s telescope to its rightful owner in time to see the comet. I enjoyed having a new Madeline adventure to read and was pleased with Marciano’s creation. His artwork is very similar to Bemelmans’, including some illustrations entirely in yellow, black, and white. He uses the same rhyming style in his text, and it reads well. Reading this book put a smile on my face as I recognized the rhythm and characters of my childhood. Though the story involves a ghost, he is not in the least bit scary, and I doubt that young children will be frightened by this book. Fans of Madeline should welcome this and the other new stories Marciano has lovingly created.