Set in picturesque Paris, this tale of a brave little girl's trip to the hospital is as appealing today as it was in 1940. The combination of spirited heroine, timelessly appealing art, cheerful humor, and rhythmic text makes "Madeline" a perennial favorite with young children.

Many of you may remember Madeline from your own childhood. She's the cute Catholic schoolgirl who may be the smallest in her class, but is not afraid of anything; not tigers, or mice, or getting her appendix out! A Caldecott Honor Book, Madeline is such a fun book to read aloud. The words will bounce out of your mouth rhythmically, with humor and rhyme. The pictures also have a very playful element to them. They range from very simplistic sketches with black marker dots for eyes and lines for mouths on a yellow page, to scenes depicting Paris in full color.

You can point out to your child that places in Madeline's book really exist, as actual Paris landmarks adorn the pages, including the Opera, Notre Dame, Luxembourg and Tuileries gardens. Each of the landmarks are specifically named and described on the final page, after the story is finished. The book is slightly taller than the average hardback book, so it will be fun for your little one to hold in his or her lap and 'read' the pictures to you after they are familiar with the story. And later, when they are learning to identify letters and words, the short sentences - or partial sentences - on each page are perfect for learning.

My three year old friend Sam was at first turned off by all the girls in every picture and kept asking if any of the short haired girls were boys. Still, the pictures - particularly the colored ones - held his interest. He loved the idea that Madeline showed her friends her scar from getting her appendix out. Even thought the picture doesn't actually show the scar, Sam thought it was pretty cool.

--Audra