I know, it's a common misconception! I thought the same until I did a bit more research. It's actually because Bemelmans had an accent so what he thought made sense rhyming (or was close enough) wouldn't necessarily translate to a native American English speaker.
Love this in depth look and find the personal history of Ludwig Bemelmans to be so interesting! We love Madeline at our house and she was a critical introduction before my two year old had to undergo major surgery and was to have a matching scar to the one on Madeline’s tummy.
Funnily we borrowed this book from the library few weeks ago, my son picked it out! But sadly he did not enjoy it when I read to him, he's 6. Maybe he did not relate? I was also not sure what to make of it on first reading, especially I don't know Madeline nor it's series. But your analysis here makes me want to go back to the library and give it another chance! :)
Not every book works for everyone and that may have been the case for him with Madeline. If you do give it another chance (perhaps check out some of the other books in the series), I'd love to know what you and your son think! :)
Loved this one Sri. Madeline was a favorite of mine and is a current favorite of my youngest. So fun to look at these classic books through different angles.
Once I found out Madeline wasn’t an orphan (when I was little, I thought it was weird that she had a “Papa” but was in an orphanage), I more or less guessed that her parents were diplomats or something and couldn’t take her with them. I think Madeline is too young to be in a boarding school, but as someone who attended a school with boarding, but as a day girl, I actually think boarding can be a lot of fun! I had the chance to spend some time as a boarder when my parents were away and had a very good time. It’s like sleep away camp but you had curfews and had to do homework. lol. I wouldn’t send a child to boarding school before middle school (though a month at sleep away camp at a much younger age is fine - just not 5 or 6!). High school would be better.
I think you probably intuited it right away given your experience but you're absolutely right. According to the author, Madeline was an American living in a Parisian boarding school. I've heard boarding school can be WILD (but also lots and lots of fun).
If you went to sleep away camp, then you probably have a rough idea...sorta (well, not really...you're usually in a cabin with, like 11 other girls and a counsellor, so not at all like boarding school. But going away to university, that's more like it). When I was a temporary boarder, I was mostly paired with really studious types who just happened to be in a single with a second bed - I never saw anything too wild. No need to sleep in a sleeping bag!
Ok, I haven’t read past the first paragraph and I cannot get over it. SHE IS NOT AN ORPHAN?! I’ve even read these as an adult (nanny perk) and still somehow missed this foundational detail. My whole worldview has shifted. I need a lie down.
I make this discovery every time I read it! My brain refuses to accept it's a boarding school. I will bring you lemonade to refresh you after this life-altering realization. 🍋
Did you know all along? I don’t think I knew boarding school even existed as a thing IRL until college — definitely not an East Coast kid 😆 also, am I making that up? That more boarding schools exist in the East Coast? Maybe? I obviously still lack knowledge
Did you ever read or watch A Little Princess? That was when I realized rich kids with parents did not have to live at home, even when they are little!
I think there are lots of boarding schools on the East Coast. I can think of two within an hour of Philadelphia, and there are probably a lot more. There was an article in Seventeen magazine in the 90's that featured life at a boarding school and it sounded delightful to me!
There are definitely lots of boarding schools on the East Coast and quite a few on the west coast too! I knew a few folks who had gone to boarding school and it seems like such an interesting experience!
I did not read or watch that one! I’ll have to look it up. When I was googling books about boarding schools after this thread started they all say Harry Potter which is like, yeah, of course! Duh! But also….he is a wizard so it’s not like regular life boarding school, so I think my brain was like “fiction.”
The good old days of reading Seventeen articles. Nostalgic. I love that they ran an article on boarding schools.
I grew up with the Shirley Temple version of A Little Princess. The one from the 90's is one of the most beautiful movies ever made , so I hope you watch and enjoy it!
I also thought of Anne of Avonlea, the second Anne movie from the 80's when I think of boarding schools. And now that you said Harry Potter I am remembering The Worst Witch, about a boarding school for teen witches. The movie Three Men and A Little Lady has a potential British boarding school plot for a five year old. Now I am going to think of boarding schools for young kids all day!
The wormhole has been opened!! I am definitely going to look up A Little Princess right now. Also, we are all still waiting for our letter invite to Hogwarts, right? Any day now.
Great pick, Sri! Can I also just say, you have created such a fantastic format here. All throughout the piece, every single section is so good. Not only have you struck gold with the concept, you’ve assembled the perfect machinery to mine it up! (I wasn’t expecting to stumble into that strange analogy, but I hope it makes sense!)
I loved Madeline as a child, but I absolutely adore it as a mom to an almost 3 y/o. My babe just completely and totally loves it. Her favorite is The Bad Hat, but we read at least one every night. The pictures give us tons to talk about, and she loves to “read” with me, as she’s basically memorized the stories at this point. Truly one of our families foundational story collections.
I truly love this series you've started! "Madeline" is a favorite of mine, and my 2 and 4 year olds like it, too. They think it's so scandalous that she says "pooh pooh" haha. Love the fun facts at the end! I didn't know Bemelmans wrote for adults, and I am definitely adding "Louie!" to our next library haul!
Madeline was such a key part of my childhood and a book my children have also loved…but I’m not sure I’ve ever read the rest of the series!
I always assumed the rhyming was a little off because the book was translated from French! 🤣
I know, it's a common misconception! I thought the same until I did a bit more research. It's actually because Bemelmans had an accent so what he thought made sense rhyming (or was close enough) wouldn't necessarily translate to a native American English speaker.
For one of my birthdays, I got a giant Madeleine dollhouse…I still think about it!
But it absolutely instilled a fear of appendicitis!!
Caroline, that sounds EPIC. Do you have any pictures??
I’ll have to ask my mom!!
I was googling pictures last night though…they appear much smaller than it is in my memory 🤣🤣
😂😂
Love this in depth look and find the personal history of Ludwig Bemelmans to be so interesting! We love Madeline at our house and she was a critical introduction before my two year old had to undergo major surgery and was to have a matching scar to the one on Madeline’s tummy.
See this is why I love picture books! Your kid connected to a book and it made surgery ( a little) less scary. What a brave 2-year-old you have!
Funnily we borrowed this book from the library few weeks ago, my son picked it out! But sadly he did not enjoy it when I read to him, he's 6. Maybe he did not relate? I was also not sure what to make of it on first reading, especially I don't know Madeline nor it's series. But your analysis here makes me want to go back to the library and give it another chance! :)
Not every book works for everyone and that may have been the case for him with Madeline. If you do give it another chance (perhaps check out some of the other books in the series), I'd love to know what you and your son think! :)
Loved this one Sri. Madeline was a favorite of mine and is a current favorite of my youngest. So fun to look at these classic books through different angles.
Have you and your youngest read any of the others in the series?
Once I found out Madeline wasn’t an orphan (when I was little, I thought it was weird that she had a “Papa” but was in an orphanage), I more or less guessed that her parents were diplomats or something and couldn’t take her with them. I think Madeline is too young to be in a boarding school, but as someone who attended a school with boarding, but as a day girl, I actually think boarding can be a lot of fun! I had the chance to spend some time as a boarder when my parents were away and had a very good time. It’s like sleep away camp but you had curfews and had to do homework. lol. I wouldn’t send a child to boarding school before middle school (though a month at sleep away camp at a much younger age is fine - just not 5 or 6!). High school would be better.
I think you probably intuited it right away given your experience but you're absolutely right. According to the author, Madeline was an American living in a Parisian boarding school. I've heard boarding school can be WILD (but also lots and lots of fun).
If you went to sleep away camp, then you probably have a rough idea...sorta (well, not really...you're usually in a cabin with, like 11 other girls and a counsellor, so not at all like boarding school. But going away to university, that's more like it). When I was a temporary boarder, I was mostly paired with really studious types who just happened to be in a single with a second bed - I never saw anything too wild. No need to sleep in a sleeping bag!
I never went to any sleep away camps so I rely on other people’s experiences to tell me what is was like. Thank you for sharing yours!
Ok, I haven’t read past the first paragraph and I cannot get over it. SHE IS NOT AN ORPHAN?! I’ve even read these as an adult (nanny perk) and still somehow missed this foundational detail. My whole worldview has shifted. I need a lie down.
I make this discovery every time I read it! My brain refuses to accept it's a boarding school. I will bring you lemonade to refresh you after this life-altering realization. 🍋
Yes, yes please!!
Read the first book where she has her appendix taken out. Her “Papa” is mentioned in it.
This revelation is making its rounds on TikTok at the moment and it's so funny to me!
I had no idea! I’m not on TT but now I want to go and see what everyone is saying.
Did you know all along? I don’t think I knew boarding school even existed as a thing IRL until college — definitely not an East Coast kid 😆 also, am I making that up? That more boarding schools exist in the East Coast? Maybe? I obviously still lack knowledge
Did you ever read or watch A Little Princess? That was when I realized rich kids with parents did not have to live at home, even when they are little!
I think there are lots of boarding schools on the East Coast. I can think of two within an hour of Philadelphia, and there are probably a lot more. There was an article in Seventeen magazine in the 90's that featured life at a boarding school and it sounded delightful to me!
There are definitely lots of boarding schools on the East Coast and quite a few on the west coast too! I knew a few folks who had gone to boarding school and it seems like such an interesting experience!
I did not read or watch that one! I’ll have to look it up. When I was googling books about boarding schools after this thread started they all say Harry Potter which is like, yeah, of course! Duh! But also….he is a wizard so it’s not like regular life boarding school, so I think my brain was like “fiction.”
The good old days of reading Seventeen articles. Nostalgic. I love that they ran an article on boarding schools.
I grew up with the Shirley Temple version of A Little Princess. The one from the 90's is one of the most beautiful movies ever made , so I hope you watch and enjoy it!
I also thought of Anne of Avonlea, the second Anne movie from the 80's when I think of boarding schools. And now that you said Harry Potter I am remembering The Worst Witch, about a boarding school for teen witches. The movie Three Men and A Little Lady has a potential British boarding school plot for a five year old. Now I am going to think of boarding schools for young kids all day!
Oh man I think I watched the 90s Little Princess like hundreds of times. It was so delicately made!
I won’t lie, I used to dream about how much fun boarding school would be and once Harry Potter came out, I started researching boarding schools 😂
The wormhole has been opened!! I am definitely going to look up A Little Princess right now. Also, we are all still waiting for our letter invite to Hogwarts, right? Any day now.
Great pick, Sri! Can I also just say, you have created such a fantastic format here. All throughout the piece, every single section is so good. Not only have you struck gold with the concept, you’ve assembled the perfect machinery to mine it up! (I wasn’t expecting to stumble into that strange analogy, but I hope it makes sense!)
Thank you so much! That means the world to me. I'm so glad you're enjoying this series. And kudos on that analogy!
Thanks for the post! I didn't know all those details about the author.
It was fun to research! I'm glad you liked this article.
I loved Madeline as a child, but I absolutely adore it as a mom to an almost 3 y/o. My babe just completely and totally loves it. Her favorite is The Bad Hat, but we read at least one every night. The pictures give us tons to talk about, and she loves to “read” with me, as she’s basically memorized the stories at this point. Truly one of our families foundational story collections.
I love this! You know 10, 20, 30 years from now Madeline will always be special to you. 🥰 Thank you so much for sharing!
I truly love this series you've started! "Madeline" is a favorite of mine, and my 2 and 4 year olds like it, too. They think it's so scandalous that she says "pooh pooh" haha. Love the fun facts at the end! I didn't know Bemelmans wrote for adults, and I am definitely adding "Louie!" to our next library haul!