Ludwig Bemelmans Books

As a great admirer of Bemelmans Madeline series,this book gave me insight to its creator. It is a beautiful book, well written and designed. A great tribute to a wonderful artist and writer. Truly a book that a Madeline fan would want!

Bemelmans grandson has done an outstanding job of putting together a comprehensive collection of his grandfather's works. The book includes a review of his adult and children's books, his artwork, and magazine covers, as well as a collection of never before seen photographs. It is colorful, fun, and interesting. If you are a Bemelmans fan you will love this book; if you are not, this is a great way to get started!

It's our great fortune that two books are published during the same month celebrating two of the finest children's book illustrators ever...Ludwig Bemelmans and Tomie dePaola (TOMIE DE PAOLA: HIS ART & HIS STORIES)! Both books are delights and will be enjoyed for hours and hours and hours...

I carried a tattered copy of this book with me from Cape Cod to New York to Paris to Berlin to Athens and back for 6 years. I can't urge you strongly enough to take this magical journey with Ludwig Bemelmans through a Europe entirely lost to us -- a world which he captures as no one else -- not Scott Fitzgerald nor any of his sort -- could have hoped or dared to. You'll never tire of slumming your way across Europe under an assumed (Royal) identity, eating and drinking the very best that France has to offer -- all courtesy of Monsieur Le Comte de St. Cucuface, an aging, comically cash-poor French Count who was long ago reduced to feeding off the extravagant banquet tables of the "Continental Set". "How To Travel Incognito" is a wildly engaging adventure penned by a brilliant writer and world-class personality. Buy this book!

Thanks to the review of C. Carey Astrakhan, I decided to send for HOW TO TRAVEL INCOGNITO when I was looking for a way to lighten up life after the agonies of Sept. 11th. For me this book had just the right combination of elegant wit and breezy charm. It was refreshing to return to the calmness of 1950's Europe and to roam the world in a Rolls Royce, visiting castles, costume balls, casinos, and the tonier restaurants. The author, who wrote the MADELINE books for children, spent his early years working in a Ritz-Carlton Hotel and knew firsthand the ways of the aristocrats and spoiled rich. He saw their flaws, enjoyed their company, and commented on them with gentle astringency. One character tells another, for instance, that a wealthy woman had a cigarette case made specially for him so that she could have the pleasure of dictating to a jeweller. Ah, yes.

Thanks to the review of C. Carey Astrakhan, I decided to send for HOW TO TRAVEL INCOGNITO when I was looking for a way to lighten up life after the agonies of Sept. 11th. For me this book had just the right combination of elegant wit and breezy charm. It was refreshing to return to the calmness of 1950's Europe and to roam the world in a Rolls Royce, visiting castles, costume balls, casinos, and the tonier restaurants. The author, who wrote the MADELINE books for children, spent his early years working in a Ritz-Carlton Hotel and knew firsthand the ways of the aristocrats and spoiled rich. He saw their flaws, enjoyed their company, and commented on them with gentle astringency. One character tells another, for instance, that a wealthy woman had a cigarette case made specially for him so that she could have the pleasure of dictating to a jeweller. Ah, yes.

We purchased this activity book to help keep our toddler entertained during a plane flight, and it was perfect. There are about 50 reusable vinyl stickers that can be placed on four scenes -- two-page spreads showing the park in summer and in winter and two one-page views of the Eiffel tower area and Madeline's hospital room. The stickers feature Madeline, the other girls, Miss Clavell and Pepito in various attires and performing a variety of activities, miscellaneous characters from the Paris milieu, and accessories like balloons, a kite and a snowman. The book also contains the complete Madeline poem by Ludwig Bemelmans, simple instructions on how to draw Madeline herself and one each of a hidden word, fill-in-the-blank, matching, hidden picture, maze and crossword puzzle as well as one page for coloring. Very nice little activity book.

This Madeline sticker book is great, I really liked it because it has a lot of reusable stickers I see in the Madeline videos. It is fun to play with because you can move the stickers wherever you want.

The "vinyl stickers" in this book are actually the same material as window clings. We took this book on a car trip, and my daughter wound up sticking the clings to the window and making a play scene there. Great fun, highly recommended.

Luchow's Restaurant is, alas, no longer in existence. In its time, it was without doubt the best German-Austrian restaurant in New York City. It was located on Union Square in Manhattan. I was first taken there by an aunt when I was a child. I loved everything about the place. The food, the surroundings, the artwork on the walls, the string quartet that played at dinner, the excellent hospitality provided to the guests by the staff -- all were unique in my experience. I ate there regularly for at least the next 20 years. I greatly regret that the restaurant is closed.
This book, which is by Jan Mitchell, the last owner, brings back fully to mind the Luchow's that I knew and loved. Recipes for many of the classic Luchow's German-Austrian dishes, that I remember having eaten at the restaurant, are here. Also in the book are many anecdotes and descriptions by Mr. Mitchell of the features that made Luchow's what it was.
If you knew Luchow's and loved it, you should have this book for sure. If you are perhaps younger, or for some other reason did not know this great restaurant, but yet you enjoy classic Bavarian and Austrian cooking, or if you have enjoyed visiting Munich or Vienna, or if you think that you would like to do so, you will find much to enjoy in this book. The recipes are clear and easy to read and to follow. Of course, some of the ingredients called for may not be readily available to you (e.g., fresh May wine, flavored with fresh woodruff? An ox head?). But the ingredients for others can be bought at retail in any truly good grocery in most metropolitan areas.
If you would like to feel immersed in the great hospitality of a fine classic restaurant in late 19th century Germany or Austria (or New York City), this book is for you.

You don't get more authentic than this book when it comes to German cooking. You can definitely gain some weight reading this book!

A wonderful book from the creator of the Madeline books, a series I grew up with. 'Hotel Splendide' is a collection of stories and drawings detailing Bemelmans' time at the Hotel Splendide where he worked as a waiter after arriving in New York from Austria. The book is filled with the most amazing characters and events, and while some of the stories can only be, at best, large exaggerations, this only adds to its charm. A delightful book describing the vibrant life in the grand hotels of the 1920s and 30s.

"In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines." In 1939, Ludwig Bemelmans began writing stories about a group of girls in a school in Paris, foremost among whom was the irrepressible Madeline. Those books are now considered classics in children's literature, having collected many awards.

In this Madeline adventure, Madeline's is saddened to learn of the death of her great-grandpapa, who had made a fortune in Texas. And so, Miss Clavel and the rest of the girls go with Madeline to Texas, where they see so many fascinating things, and have so many fun adventures!

This is another great Madeline story. I liked the gentle rhyming of the story, and my four-year-old daughter liked the many fun things that Madeline did. So, let's just say that this book is a classic of children's literature for a reason! My little one and I both highly recommend this great book.

this book is such a classic. i can remember reading it as a child. me and my brothers and sister would always read this book at least once a week. it is a story about loving your body and yourself just the way you are.

This was my favorite book as a child and should be back in print. The illustrations are lovely and the story quite moving about loyalty and friendship. It is a book that should be in every library and home. It is by the same author that wrote the Madeline books, but this story is even more touching and memorable.

I loved the Madeline books as a child, so when my daughter turned two I ordered this for her.... and it's truly one of her favorite books. The story is a classic, and the illustrations are as charming as ever! Thirty + years hasn't dimmed it's magic for me.

This beautifully written and illustrated, very engaging story, is a classic of children's literature and a delight in every way. You may begin reading this to a child from the age of 7-8 mos on. One of my favorites as a child (65 yrs ago) and so for both my daughters. I have just given this new addition to my baby granddaughter.

This classic book is great reading to children as soon as they can sit still enough to listen and look. A delightful, warm and imaginative story.

My three year old daughter loves this book. After all these years it's still great--nothing beats a classic.

"In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines." In 1939, Ludwig Bemelmans began writing stories about a group of girls in a school in Paris, foremost among whom was the irrepressible Madeline. Those books are now considered classics in children's literature, having collected many awards.

This is a great children's book, one that my four-year-old likes having read to her over and over again. Indeed, we now have it down to where she finishes the sentences for me. "In two straight lines they..." I start, and she finishes with, "broke their bread." Well, it's a lot of fun. We both love this book and highly recommend it!

I read this book, and it's down right awful. Absolutly horrible, this book is, it's sad, angry, and misleading, anything but happy, a poor choise for anyone. If you can trust me, you will never read this book. Read something good, like "Grimm's fairy tales", "The American girl's collection" or Roald Dahal novals instead!!!

A fine collection of the original 6 Madeline stories with all their glorious original illustrations and a decent foreword about the stories and their origin for the parents.

Our 2.5 yr old loves these and her parents love them too. And so will your children and even you.

Words roll off the pages with glee and delight and the beautiful artwork gives a lovely sight.

For years, young girls have been entertained by the adventures of Madeline, and this collection of stories only adds to the Madeline madness!

Bemelman's quirky stories and wonderful illustrations captivate my girls when Madeline comes up as the evening's bedtime story. While the original story is by far the most realistic and best, my girls (both under five) love the fact that Madeline has new adventures, and we like that real things happen to her, like her appendix bursting or she falls in the river when playing on a bridge.

Unlike so many children's books, sometimes Madeline's sisters are "very sad." But reading Madeline makes my girls very happy.

I usually borrow children books from my local library but there are some I do want my daughters to own, this is one of them. Madeline's character is so charming, the stories are easy to read and full of adventures little girls will love.