Kirkus Reviews

Having inched his way into his grandfather's spotlight with a Madeline board book and other tie-ins, Marciano tries out a full-dress solo performance here—and makes the grade nicely. Looking and sounding just like the classic episodes, this all-original outing takes Madeline and her schoolmates on a rhymed trip to sunny Rome where, after visiting the Sistine Chapel and other familiar sights, she and Genevieve hare off after a young thief who snatches Miss Clavel's camera. After a brisk chase they reclaim the camera, but find themselves (briefly) under arrest and also saddled with an entire old houseful of stray cats. Though an unexplained general costume change partway through breaks the visual continuity, Marciano sketches children, tourists and their surroundings with that old, loose, familiar vim—in (as further homage) alternate sets of full-color scenes and pages in yellow and black. Like the newer Amelia Bedelias, this doesn't exactly take the perennial favorite in new directions, but it does seamlessly extend the series. (Picture book. 6-8)

School Library Journal (Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

K-Gr 2 In the first all-new Madeline book in almost 50 years, Ludwig Bemelmans's grandson tries his hand at re-creating the magic and charm of the boisterous little French girl. In this escapade, Miss Clavel and the girls escape the cold, rainy weather in Paris to enjoy spring in Rome. But when their camera is stolen, Madeline races off to catch the culprit. She tracks her down and discovers one of the hiding places of the famed cats of Rome. When the thief, Caterina, lures Madeline into one of her schemes, both girls are taken to the police station. Madeline is reunited with her teacher and classmates and decides to help Caterina stage a "rescue operation" for the cats. After successfully finding homes for all of the felines, Miss Clavel, Madeline, and the girls bid a fond " Ciao! " to Italy. Marciano includes a list of Roman sites found in the illustrations. Missing, however, is a much-needed author's note explaining the history and significance of the more than 300,000 stray cats that live among the city's monuments and ruins. The artwork isn't as sharp and polished as in the original titles, the plot gets muddled, and the rhythm and rhyme of the text are slightly forced and stilted. Nonetheless, libraries with a large Madeline fan base may want to include this new adventure alongside the originals. Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

ALA Booklist (Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

In this sequel to the familiar Madeline picture books written and illustrated by Bemelmans' grandson, Miss Clavel takes the "twelve little girls in two straight lines" from cold, rainy Paris to warm, sunny Rome. On a sightseeing expedition, they pose in the street while Miss Clavel takes their picture. Suddenly, an Italian girl snatches the camera and runs. Madeline and her dog, Genevieve, give chase through the streets of Rome and make a couple of surprising discoveries before their adventure ends. Though the text breaks down here and there, usually when the near rhymes go too far astray, Marciano does a good job of recapturing the look and the verve of his grandfather's artwork without slavish imitation. Some of the illustrations are in full color, while others use bold, black lines and two shades of yellow. Marciano's previous works include the manners book Madeline Says Merci (2001) and the board book Madeline Loves Animals (2005). Madeline fans will welcome this.

Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Yolen attempts to distinguish mythology from biography regarding the famed apple evangelist. Each spread includes a snippet of a hagiographic poem, some myth-busting information ("The History"), and thumbnail supplemental details ("The Fact," which sometimes includes Yolen's source). Burke's accomplished earth-tone paintings reflect imaginative Johnny's preoccupation with apples, starting in childhood and continuing throughout his life.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Piggybacking onto the original Madeline books by his grandfather, Marciano sends the “twelve little girls in two straight lines” to Rome, where his red-haired heroine chases a thief and saves a house full of cats. Like its models, this add-on is filled with both yellow and full-color pages, absurd plot twists and a Bemelmans-style visual guide of places to visit. Regrettably, as in his <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Madeline Says Merci, Marciano’s didactic theme reduces the spirited Madeline to a smug counterfeit. When the thief Catarina explains that she steals only to feed Rome’s starving stray cats, Madeline self-righteously says, “While I applaud your charity,/ Let me say this with clarity:/ STEALING IS WRONG—no matter the cause.” Awkward syntax and forced rhymes abound (“Madeline said, 'My, what a nice kitten.’/ Her dog was of a different opinion”), and at their best the illustrations are no more than serviceable imitations of Bemelmans’s style. The joy and brio of the original books go missing. Ages 3–up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)