First Daughter Candle (whose unruly mop curls up like a flame) is feeling ignored by her busy parents, so Mom arranges for an Easter weekend visit from Madeline and her friends. The girls enjoy rolling eggs, overeating, and sleepover activities, capped off by a magical ride on cherry blossoms to view D.C. landmarks, courtesy of a magician first seen in Madeline's Christmas (1985), now transformed into a rabbit. Based on an idea Bemelmans was working on at the time of his 1962 death, grandson Marciano has done a credible job copying the rhythms and artistic style of the originals.

Madeline and her classmates visit the president's lonely daughter and get a tour of Washington, D.C., as a bonus. The story's logic is a stretch; the appearance of "Madeline's magician" disguised as a rabbit obscures the plot even more. Still, mention of the White House Easter Egg Roll and paintings of the national monuments give the book some appeal.

"In an old white house in Washington, D.C., / Lived as lonely a girl as there can be...." Madeline and her cohorts revisit America in the latest sequel from Bemelmans' grandson—this time to join the president's solitary daughter for Easter eggrolling on the White House lawn. That night (as Miss Clavel and the other girls sleep off the effects of too much party food), Penelope and Madeline enjoy an aerial nighttime tour of the city's monuments courtesy of the magician introduced in Madeline's Christmas . As before ( Madeline and the Cats of Rome , 2008, etc.), Marciano closes with a note linking this spinoff to his grandfather's unfinished work. He also pairs verse that channels his esteemed progenitor's in tone and occasionally forced rhyme to illustrations that make a close but not exact match in style. Sandwiched between endpaper views of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Bemelmans is buried in Arlington), this homage offers a reasonably seamless continuation of the classic series, far closer in lilt and spirit than, for instance, the recent spate of Corduroy and Curious George travesties. (Picture book. 4-6)

When her class visits the White House Easter Egg Roll, Madeline befriends the lonely first daughter, who's nicknamed Candle. Madeline, her magician (who appeared in Madeline's Christmas), and the 11 other girls, play with Candle in her room, hunt Easter eggs, and eat desserts until they have tummy aches. But Madeline and Candle bend the rules by staying up all night and getting a memorable nighttime ride on a ""magic tide of cherry blossom,"" courtesy of the magician. Marciano's paintings are faithful to those of his grandfather, but his heroine (and story) feel more wispy than spirited. Ages 3%E2%80%935. (Jan.)

K-Gr 2 This book is written by the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans, based on some incomplete work uncovered after Bemelmans's death. Those notes have been used as the basis for this adventure about young Penelope "Candle" Randall, the president's lonely daughter. When her mother is unable to return home for the annual White House Easter celebrations, she sends Candle a letter saying that the daughter of a friend and her classmates will be arriving from Paris to celebrate in her place. The girls arrive with Miss Clavel and a surprise guest, Madeline's magician, a rabbit. After enjoying the day with her new friends, Candle sadly realizes they will all be leaving in the morning. The magician conjures a special trip on a wave of cherry blossom [sic] for Candle and Madeline. They escape the confines of the White House and fly around the city, returning just in time for Madeline to catch her plane. The illustrations are reminiscent of the original art. The text, however, does not have the crisp snap of Bemelmans's rhymes. Nor does it have the impish humor that made Madeline such a favorite. This book focuses more on Candle than on the title character, and that is a distraction. The old Madeline would have gotten into more mischief if let loose in the White House. Still, it's wonderful to see her again, even if the story is a little thin. Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren &; Waldoboro, ME