K-Gr 2—This book is written by the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans, based on some incomplete work uncovered after Bemelmans's death. Those notes have been used as the basis for this adventure about young Penelope "Candle" Randall, the president's lonely daughter. When her mother is unable to return home for the annual White House Easter celebrations, she sends Candle a letter saying that the daughter of a friend and her classmates will be arriving from Paris to celebrate in her place. The girls arrive with Miss Clavel and a surprise guest, Madeline's magician, a rabbit. After enjoying the day with her new friends, Candle sadly realizes they will all be leaving in the morning. The magician conjures a special trip on a wave of cherry blossom [sic] for Candle and Madeline. They escape the confines of the White House and fly around the city, returning just in time for Madeline to catch her plane. The illustrations are reminiscent of the original art. The text, however, does not have the crisp snap of Bemelmans's rhymes. Nor does it have the impish humor that made Madeline such a favorite. This book focuses more on Candle than on the title character, and that is a distraction. The old Madeline would have gotten into more mischief if let loose in the White House. Still, it's wonderful to see her again, even if the story is a little thin.—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME
Madeline and her classmates visit the president's lonely daughter and get a tour of Washington, D.C., as a bonus. The story's logic is a stretch; the appearance of "Madeline's magician" disguised as a rabbit obscures the plot even more. Still, mention of the White House Easter Egg Roll and paintings of the national monuments give the book some appeal.
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