Madeline needs to be in your home library.

“In an old house in Paris

that was covered with vines

lived twelve little girls

in two straight lines.

The smallest one was Madeline.”

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One of my favorite books from childhood was Madeline. I always felt so attached to her. She was brave, a little mischievous, and she had to have surgery in the very first book.

As a little girl who had eye surgeries, I didn’t see a lot of hospital or surgery stories in kids’ books. Madeline made it feel normal, even a bit adventurous! It helped me feel seen, and I think that’s why the book stuck with me so much.

The beautiful rhyming text is so catchy it stays in your head. The dreamy watercolor illustrations make you want to step right into the pages. These books really are special.

The first Madeline book follows the twelve little girls who live with Miss Clavel in that old vine-covered house in Paris. They walk through the city (and the book even helps you spot all the real landmarks at the end). One night Miss Clavel wakes up because she just knows something isn’t right. She finds Madeline crying; her appendix needs to come out. Off she goes in an ambulance. When the other girls visit her in the hospital and see how much fun she’s having with the toys and the attention, they all say they want their appendix out too!

It’s such a gentle, sweet way to talk with kids about hospitals, surgeries, and scars. There are things that can feel scary for children but are more approachable through gentle fiction like this.

For years we only had the first Madeline book. My daughter carried it around everywhere and would “read” it to anyone who would listen. It made this mama’s heart so happy.

Recently I found an amazing deal on Amazon for the beautiful hardcover Madeline Treasury. I grabbed it as a treat for my girl, and she was absolutely delighted when it arrived. There are so many more Madeline stories! The book is much bigger and sturdier than I expected, it really feels like heirloom quality for the price. Such a fantastic deal.

Here’s a list of the stories included in the treasury (picture taken straight from the book):

Here are a few photos I took so you can see the actual size and details, it's so lovely:

I would highly recommend this treasury. It’s the kind of book that becomes a family favorite for years and makes a wonderful addition to any home library.

Happy reading,

Hannah