What Parents Should Know
The hocus-pocus is fun for kids, but the fact that the girls
go home to their parents--where the girls are showered with
gifts--may confuse young readers who thought Miss Clavel is the
girls' mother. And it raises questions for grown-ups too, who
wonder why the children weren't already scheduled to go home
for the holidays without the help of a magician.
Common Sense Media Review
Madeline is her usually spunky self in this Christmastime
tale. The rhyming is brisk and strong, despite a borrowed verse
from "The Night Before Christmas" that breaks the rhythm in the
beginning: "Twas the night before Christmas, and all through
the house, not a creature was stirring because of a nasty,
contagious illness--even mouse is in bed with a miserable
cold."
The hocus-pocus is fun for kids, but the fact that the girls go home to their parents--where the girls are showered with gifts--may confuse young readers who thought Miss Clavel is the girls' mother. And it raises questions for grown-ups too, who wonder why the children weren't already scheduled to go home for the holidays without the help of a magician.
Because the book was originally published as a special insert in McCall's magazine, some of the illustrations have a quick, more focused appearance than Bemelmans's usually broad landscapes. However, one panoramic painting of the magic-carpet ride is special indeed.
Madeline is the first book in this much beloved series, and Madeline's Rescue is another strong entry. Mad About Madeline is an anthology of Bemelmans's six stories.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
