Madeline's Christmas

Amazon.com
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring because of a nasty, contagious illness--even the mouse is in bed with a miserable cold. Only brave Madeline is up and about ... competently running the household until she hears a knock at the door--a visitor whom she suspects might be Santa Claus. Instead it is a magical-rug merchant, with 12 red carpets that Madeline thinks would be perfect for the 12 girls and "For our ice-cold in the morning feet." She procures a few francs from Miss Clavel and pays the merchant. Without his rugs, however, he is very chilly, and he feels quite silly for having sold them. He returns to the old house (still covered in vines), where Madeline helps him thaw out, and he works a little Christmas magic--sending the girls on cross-country carpet rides to surprise their parents. Of course, Miss Clavel's bell breaks the spell and they're all back in time to celebrate the New Year. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson


From Publishers Weekly
Madeline joined the company of story immortals in 1939, when Bemelmans introduced the lion-hearted French child to the world. The original and five sequels excited critical raves, awards and an international readership. Now the sixth saga, reprinted from a McCall's magazine feature, will be offered as a book. On Christmas Eve, the old house in Paris, covered with vines, is also swarming with germs. Miss Clavel and her charges, except Madeline, are downed by the flu. So the littlest of the 12 girls nurses the ailing ones but a mysterious caller arrives with the promise of turning a sad Yuletide into an adventure. Madeline buys 12 rugs from the turbaned visitor and tucks them around the chilly invalids until she discovers that the covers are more than comforting. They are magic. They take Madeline and her friends on a wonderful flight, bringing back the joys of the season. Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
It's the night before Christmas and everyone is sick in bed. All except brave Madeline, who is up and about and feeling just fine. Taking care of eleven little girls and Miss Clavel is hard work, but Madeline finds help from a magical merchant peddling flying carpets door-to-door. Now the girls are going on a Christmas journey that will surely make them forget their sniffles and sneezes. Great for gift-giving and group sharing, Madeline's Christmas now joins the five other books about Madeline as a deluxe, full-sized paperback.


Card catalog description
With everyone else sick in bed with a cold on Christmas Eve, it is up to Madeline to run the school, and she finds a remarkable helper in a rug-selling magician.


About the Author
Ludwig Bemelmans was a painter, illustrator, and writer for both children and adults. The Madeline books are among the most honored children's books of all time. Mr. Bemelmans died in 1962, after completing his sixth story about Madeline, Madeline's Christmas.


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Bemelmans' tiny heroine is the only person in the old house covered with vines who still feels well this Christmas season; everyone else has a cold. A knock at the door isn't Santa Claus but someone equally welcome—a rug merchant. Madeline buys all of his rugs to warm her housemates' feet. Alas, the merchant is now cold and returns to be doctored by Madeline. It turns out he is also a magician, and turns the rugs into flying carpets to fly the girls home to their families for Christmas. The story is a little disjointed and is more concerned with the magic than Madeline. Diehard fans of the series will still clamor for it anyway. This tale first appeared as a book insert in the 1956 Christmas edition of McCall's and was restored with the help of the Bemelmans family. 1999 (orig. 1956), Puffin/Penguin, and $5.99. Ages 3 to 8. Reviewer: Dr. Judy Rowen


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