two straight lines, just down the road

The adorable, and wee-bit mischievous, Madeline is starring in a new picture book just released last week- Madeline at the White House by John Bemelmans Marciano.  Staying true to the style and form created by his grandfather, Ludwig Bemelmans, Marciano's latest brings Madeline to my neck of the woods to visit the first daughter just in time for the White House Easter festivities.

Miss Penelope Randall, the daughter of the President and the bearer of a crazy curl on the top of her head that inspires her nickname Candle, is in much need of a playmate.  Her mother, abroad on a trip, sends a message that she is sending the daughter of a friend and her classmates, and soon Miss Clavel and those twelve little ones in two straight lines come to the White House.  The Easter Egg Roll and delicious treats fill the day with fun, but it's Madeline's sneaky magician rabbit friend who gives them a bird's eye view of Washington, D.C. on a late night carpet-ride adventure.

The author's note at the end of the book gives some background to the origin of this story, which came from Ludwig Bemelmans' friendship with Jacqueline Kennedy in the early 1960s, and I love that the spirit of the original Madeline stories remains with Bemelman's grandson.  Both Red and Pudge love this new Madeline book, especially because they could recognize some of the landmarks that are shown in the illustrations!

If you're feeling lucky, head over to 5 Minutes for Mom today to read Lauren's review of Madeline at the White House and to enter to win a prize pack of the book, a 16 inch Madeline plush doll, and a tin tea set worth $68!


Good luck,