Madeline

Why It's On Our Shelf

Madeline's fearlessness is both funny and inspiring - she's not scared of anything, which is exactly the kind of character kids gravitate toward. The rhyming text has perfect rhythm that makes it easy to memorize, and the illustrations alternate between full-page watercolors and small panels in a way that keeps the eye moving. What makes this iconic is how it shows that being the smallest doesn't mean being the weakest. The Parisian setting adds charm, and the repetitive structure creates the kind of comfort kids seek in books they want read over and over.