Madeline's dearer to me because I almost didn't pick it up. If its droll verse doesn't get you, the illustrations will - which look like Bemelmann popped into an unruly art class in a school and smuggled some willing kids back into his studio. The unstudied roughness and criss-crossing of lines, the ease with which certain colours acquire more importance than others, the unfussy lines and scribbles that make everything from a ripple to a skyline dynamic, how perfectly natural it is that noses aren't drawn on the faces of Madeline and the other little girls! - I can't stop looking at the book.

One of my favourite images, one that recurs throughout the series, is that of Mrs. Clavel, the governess, rushing to the girls' bedroom because she's got that sneaky feeling that something isn't quite right.



It isn't just the inspired childlikeness that makes it lovable but Bemelmann's lively perspective, which has captured the urgency of this moment so wonderfully.Each time I look at this page, I just marvel at the way he makes one travel the length of the corridor Clavel is on.

FatCat Stars: For its blend of comedy and warmth and for all the sights of Paris that fill the pages. (The landmarks are listed at the back too!)

N