'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Review: Madeline and the Cats of Rome

What more joyful way to tour Rome than through the eyes of sweet little Madeline, the little girl from Paris who lived in a house covered in vines (and whenever she left it was in two straight lines).

In The Cats of Rome, Madeline and her eleven little friends, along with Miss Clavel, are off on a train through France and the Alps and northern Italy… leaving behind the cold harsh winter of monochrome pages to the glorious, sunshiny, full-colour springtime of Rome!

What a beautiful sight to behold – the Spanish Steps, the fountains, the churches, the pasta – the girls are having a lovely time, when suddenly a young ragamuffin makes off with Madeline’s camera!

Giving chase, the plucky young lass trails the thief through the streets of Rome, but she’s given the slip . . . until a stray cat leads her to an abandoned house . . . and who should be making home inside?

A priceless debacle ensues, with Madeline the eventual hero - and a reader totally sated by a wonderful tour of Rome.

Classic . . . and deliciously Madeline.

Title: Madeline and the Cats of Rome
Author/Illustrator: John Bemelmans Marciano
Publisher: Puffin, $16.95
Publication Date: 29 June 2009
ISBN: 9780143304623
Format: Soft cover
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book