Madeline and and the Bad Hat brings me back

Ludwig Bemelmans introduced me to a new view of life and his drawings were amazing for a child.

This was my first Madeline book. I loved the way she could be different and transgressive in a regimented world--and get away with it. I loved the Paris setting. I wanted to be able to travel abroad. The Madeline books opened a world of promise, difference, and opportunities. Because of Madeline I spent a lot of time looking at the cracks in ceilings, imagining what kinds of pictures they made. When she was the right age, I gave my niece the Madeline books. I hope she loved them as much as I did.