Madeline

I simply love some children's books. Sometimes I do wish my kids were still 5 years old and I can still narrate such stories in my own little way. One of these is the series of books about Madeline, a French girl who lives in a boarding school run by Miss Clavel, a nun who tries her best to keep her out of trouble. Madeline is only 7 years old, a little redhead who is known for being the bravest and most outgoing of the girls. Other characters include Genevieve the dog, an extremely intelligent dog with skills such as juggling and arithmetic. She was a stray until she saved Madeline from drowning.

Despite its French setting and French characters, Madeline was actually written by Ludwig Bemelmans, an American author of Belgian, Austrian and German origins. His first book was published in 1939 and when it became a huge success, he continued with more stories into the 1940's and 50's. The series continues to this day, written by Bemelmans' grandson John Bemelmans-Marciano. The books all start with the line "In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines ...". The story is written entirely in rhyme which makes it beautiful to read. And it all ends with Madeline saying "That's all there is; there isn't any more." Though there have been movie adaptations of Madeline, I firmly believe that the books are still the best.

That's all there is; there isn't any more.

Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake

"And are all those beastly giants over there really going off again tonight to eat people ?" Sophie asked. - the BFG
"Mathilda's parents have called her some terrible things. The truth is, she's a genius and they're the stupid ones. " - Matilda

"... the Trunchbull let go of her pigtails and Amanda went sailing like a rocket right over the wire fence of the playground and high up into the sky." - Matilda

"Very slowly, the young lady on the platform raised her hands to her face. I saw her gloved fingers unhooking something behind her ears, and then.. - The Witches

"With his secret plans and clever tricks, the Enormous Crocodile desires to lunch not with but on a nice, juicy child ". - The Enormous Crocodile

My favourite children's book author has to be Roald Dahl. His stories are a mixture of wit and mayhem and are wickedly good ! Its brilliance is matched by the visual artistry of illustrator Quentin Blake whose distinct style uses fast scribbly lines that flows with spontaneity and excitement. Despite, strong visuals from movie adaptations of Roald Dahl's stories, Quentin Blake's illustrations are the ones that remain the most vivid in my mind.