Rating: 
Summary: A family favorite!
Review: My sisters and I loved this book when we were small and I'm finding out that most girls adore Madeline. Poor Madeline, always ornery, never learning, falls into a river and a dog rescues her. It's very sweet to see how the girls fight over the dog but, when she gets out one night and returns, there was enough "hound to go around," as the book says! A darling classic and worthy of the Caldecott Award it received.
Rating:
Summary: Madeline's Rescue
Review: The Madeline series has fascinated children, especially little girls, for decades. Having watched my own children enjoy the books, Madeline's Rescue became my favorite to read to children and to enjoy myself. The book has a marvelous balance of story and outstanding illustrations that make it more complete than almost any other illustrated children's book. My wife and daughters love to quote the beginning of the Madeline books: "In an old house in Paris That was covered with vines Lived twelve little girls In two straight lines. . . . the smallest one was Madeline." What an engrossing beginning! Why an old house? Why two straight lines? What are the little girls doing there? Why are we focusing on the smallest? Your mind is filled with questions that cause you to want to race forward and learn more. This is a boarding school where the parents do not make an appearance in the story. So you are looking at the independent life of young girls. Madeline's Rescue is the second book in the series. You will probably enjoy the book more if you read Madeline first. One day while walking with the school, Madeline falls into the fast-moving Seine. If you have ever seen the river, you know it would be hard to rescue anyone from it without a boat. In this case, a brave dog saves Madeline. The girls take the dog home and name her Genevieve. They fight over who will sleep with her. All's well until the school's trustees come for their annual inspection. The trustees point out the rule, "DOGS AREN'T ALLOWED IN SCHOOL." So Genevieve is put out. After the trustees leave, the girls are naturally upset and search all over Paris for her. But Genevieve returns on her own. Miss Clavel awakens in the middle of the night to find her outside. Then Miss Clavel is awakened again when the girls fight over Genevieve. Then, she is awakened a third time for a very nice surprise! You'll have to read the book to find out what it is. Most illustrated books don't hold up well in small paperback form. Madeline's Rescue is the exception. I recommend that you buy a large, library binding edition for home, and the paperback for travel. The illustrations won this book the 1954 Caldecott award for best illustrated children's book in that year. I am sure you will enjoy the bright splashes of color and inked outlines for the happy scenes, and the somber, cold tones for the sad times. If you've ever been in Paris during the wintry weather, the dull looking pages will remind you of those overcast, dull days. After you finish reading this book with your child, I suggest that you think about where else our connection with animals brings rewards in both directions. Obviously, this is true with other pets. But what about humble animals like the earthworm that make our gardens grow and look more beautiful? When we loosen the soil for the plants, we help prepare it for the earthworms too. Discover our natural heritage and obligations!
Rating:
Summary: Natural Connections Improve Our Lives!
Review: The Madeline series has fascinated children, especially little girls, for decades. Having watched my own children enjoy the books, Madeline's Rescue became my favorite to read to children and to enjoy myself. The book has a marvelous balance of story and outstanding illustrations that make it more complete than almost any other illustrated children's book.
My wife and daughters love to quote the beginning of the Madeline books: "In an old house in Paris That was covered with vines Lived twelve little girls In two straight lines. . . . the smallest one was Madeline." What an engrossing beginning! Why an old house? Why two straight lines? What are the little girls doing there? Why are we focusing on the smallest? Your mind is filled with questions that cause you to want to race forward and learn more. This is a boarding school where the parents do not make an appearance in the story. So you are looking at the independent life of young girls. Madeline's Rescue is the second book in the series. You will probably enjoy the book more if you read Madeline first. One day while walking with the school, Madeline falls into the fast-moving Seine. If you have ever seen the river, you know it would be hard to rescue anyone from it without a boat. In this case, a brave dog saves Madeline. The girls take the dog home and name her Genevieve. They fight over who will sleep with her. All's well until the school's trustees come for their annual inspection. The trustees point out the rule, "DOGS AREN'T ALLOWED IN SCHOOL." So Genevieve is put out. After the trustees leave, the girls are naturally upset and search all over Paris for her. But Genevieve returns on her own. Miss Clavel awakens in the middle of the night to find her outside. Then Miss Clavel is awakened again when the girls fight over Genevieve. Then, she is awakened a third time for a very nice surprise! You'll have to read the book to find out what it is. Most illustrated books don't hold up well in small paperback form. Madeline's Rescue is the exception. I recommend that you buy a large, library binding edition for home, and the paperback for travel. The illustrations won this book the 1954 Caldecott award for best illustrated children's book in that year. I am sure you will enjoy the bright splashes of color and inked outlines for the happy scenes, and the somber, cold tones for the sad times. If you've ever been in Paris during the wintry weather, the dull looking pages will remind you of those overcast, dull days. After you finish reading this book with your child, I suggest that you think about where else our connection with animals brings rewards in both directions. Obviously, this is true with other pets. But what about humble animals like the earthworm that make our gardens grow and look more beautiful? When we loosen the soil for the plants, we help prepare it for the earthworms too. Discover our natural heritage and obligations!
Rating:
Summary: Fun story - great audio!
Review: There are several reviews of this book which explain the storyline. I would like to comment on the cassett which is included with the book. My children (ages 2 & 4) love this tape. The story itself is only about 10 minutes long, but it is followed by a make-believe trip to France where they talk about simple french phrases, sites and sing several fun songs in French (with some English). This is the best storytape we own.
Rating: 
Summary: Madeline's Rescue
Review: This is a wonderful story, with wonderful pictures. There are many reviews recapping the story, so I won't do so now. I will tell you that my daughter LOVES this story, and at the age of 2 had memorized every word on every page, and would "read" it to herself in her crib at night, imitating the voices that I had used when I read it to her. This story, along with all of the other original Madeline stories, should be a permanent addition to any little girl's book collection. It seems like a story that little boys would love as well, as does "Madeline and the Bad Hat". I highly reccomend this book.
Rating:
Summary: My 2 year-old's FAVORITE book...
Review: This is a wonderful story, with wonderful pictures. There are many reviews recapping the story, so I won't do so now. I will tell you that my daughter LOVES this story, and at the age of 2 had memorized every word on every page, and would "read" it to herself in her crib at night, imitating the voices that I had used when I read it to her. This story, along with all of the other original Madeline stories, should be a permanent addition to any little girl's book collection. It seems like a story that little boys would love as well, as does "Madeline and the Bad Hat". I highly reccomend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Justly called classic
Review: This is probably my favorite of the "Madeline" series for kids. Artistically it is beautiful, mixing expressive and energetic line drawings with the occasional full-color painting quite effectively. The story mixes very comic elements (like the girls all fighting over who will have the dog sleep on their bed, while their harried nurse keeps getting up in the night as always) and elements of true poignancy, like when the dog is lost. We see Madeline in her window looking at the empty streets, sighing "Oh Genevieve, where can you be? Genevieve, please come back to me." The direct, sad, but unsentimental tone of this moment is really moving. Overall, a most satisfying tale indeed, both in story and in art, with a happy ending that is sure to please.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book in the Madeline series
Review: When I was a child, this was my favorite Madeline book
| 
