Madeline and the Old House in Paris

by John Bemelmans Marciano

Overview

To the ghost, Madeline said "Pooh-pooh." 

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780670784851
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/08/2013
Series:	Madeline Series
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	498,370
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 12.30(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

John Bemelmans Marciano is the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the Madeline books. John has written and illustrated four books about Madeline, carrying on his grandfather’s legacy. John, his wife Andromache, and their daughter Galatea live in Brooklyn, New York.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for MADELINE AND THE OLD HOUSE IN PARIS:

"Marciano does a fine job of replicating the mood, spirit, and look of his grandfather’s much-admired books"—Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

08/26/2013
In Marciano’s third Madeline title, he resurrects the mischievous character of Pepito, the son of the Spanish Ambassador who first appeared in Ludwig Bemelmans’s Madeline and the Bad Hat. It turns out that a ghost haunts the vine-covered Parisian house that Madeline, Miss Clavel, and the other girls inhabit—it’s that of the scientifically accomplished man who originally built the dwelling. With a rare comet approaching, Madeline and Pepito conspire to help the ghost rest in peace. Marciano does a fine job of replicating the mood, spirit, and look of his grandfather’s much-admired books, while emphasizing themes of mischief and justice in this outing. Ages 3–5. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Madeline’s Rescue received the Caldecott Medal; Madeline was a Caldecott Honor Book.

Praise for MADELINE AND THE OLD HOUSE IN PARIS:

"Marciano does a fine job of replicating the mood, spirit, and look of his grandfather’s much-admired books"—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

09/01/2013
K-Gr 2—Madeline and her friend Pepito come to the aid of a sad spirit in this offering from Bemelmans's grandson. Ghoulish groans of "Woo-hoo" from the attic make the orphans and Pepito cry "Boohoo," but Madeline heads off to investigate and says, "Pooh-pooh" when confronted with the apparition of Felix de Lamorte. The former astronomer, who has been waiting 221 years for the return of a comet so he may rest in peace, is devastated because his telescope has been stolen by the head of the school. In ghostly disguise, Madeline and Pepito pay the thief a midnight visit: "Awake! Awake! Lord Cucuface!/and save yourself from foul disgrace!/You've crossed a line that's awfully fine/by taking what is rightly mine." Marciano's full-color illustrations faithfully recreate such iconic images as Miss Clavel and "twelve little girls in two straight lines." The background scenes feature Parisian chateaus and the Seine. Although the rhyming text lacks the accomplished flair of the original books, Madeline's fans will enjoy her adventures.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

School Library Journal

Much-beloved and as spirited as ever, Madeline is back in Paris to help out a miserable ghost and create a scare of her own intended for the school's headmaster. Marciano (Madeline at the White House, 2011) continues his series of sequels to his grandfather's original works. With gouache, pen and ink, he closely duplicates the style of the classic titles and even includes a number of pages executed in black on yellow. The rhythm of the rhyming text is also reminiscent, as when the action begins with an unexpected visitor: "One afternoon at a quarter past five, / a long black car pulled into the drive." It's Lord Cucuface, who conducts an inspection of the premises and discovers a "most / splendid telescope," which he promptly takes with him. But in the middle of that night, Madeline hears moaning and groaning. It's the ghost of an astronomer, who needs the telescope back in time to observe a comet he's been waiting 221 years to see so that he can rest in peace. The kids help Madeline and Pepito pull off a clever trick that involves a convincing costume and a bit of dramatic theater. Of course Lord Cucuface is scared silly, so that by the final page, "a girl and a boy and a ghost were peeping / at a rare and brilliant sight, / a comet streaking through the night." Encore, Madeline! (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews