Madeline's Rescue

The lively adventures of the twelve famous little girls and Genevieve, the dog, take us once more to Bemelmans' unique and delightful Paris.

Ludwig Bemelmans was a painter, illustrator, and writer for both children and adults. A world traveler, he spent much of his time in New York or Paris, where he found his inspiration for Madeline. After the book's success, many people requested a sequel, including one small girl who asked Mr. Bemelmans to, "Write something about a dog and Madeline." When Mr. Bemelmans was back working in Paris, with his pet dog: "I used to take long walks along the river Seine, and my dog liked to run down and swim in the river. One day as I sat there, some little schoolgirls, exactly like the little girls in your book, passed in a long line. They crossed the bridge that is called Le Pont Royal just as they did in your book. Then the idea for a story came." The story of Madeline's Rescue, a Caldecott Award Book, resulted. Mr. Bemelmans died in 1962 after completing the sixth story about Madeline, Madeline's Christmas.