Madeline in America and Other Holiday Tales (by Ludwig Bemelmans)

MADELINE IN AMERICA features narratives and some art by Ludwig Bemelmans and many illustrations by his grandson, John Bemelmans Marciano. In "Madeline in Texas," Miss Clavel and the girls travel to collect Madeline's inheritance from her great-grandfather.

They visit a ranch, oil wells, and the Neiman Marcus department store, of which Madeline will be part owner. In the end, we learn that her great-grandfather had the wisdom to dictate that she return to school until age 21.

"The Count and the Cobbler" is a parable about a poor cobbler whose baby tricks him into giving his children shoes for Christmas. And "Sunshine," set in New York City, is about a landlord who seeks a quiet tenant. Instead, he gets a music teacher who he struggles to evict. In the end, on Christmas Eve, he turns over a new leaf. This volume also includes Christmas memories by Ludwig Bemelmans's daughter and identification of the landmarks featured in the illustrations.

"Madeline in Texas" is the best of the three stories for Madeline fans; it's the only story in which the beloved heroine appears. Author Ludwig Bemelmans and his co-author/grandson make Texas as interesting as Paris -- the Texas Ranger and Davie Crockett are a hoot! John Bemelmans Marciano's paintings have his grandfather's energetic style: The two-page spread of Madeline on horseback, racing away from stampeding cattle, bursts off its bright yellow background.

Without Madeline, the story in "Sunshine" bumps and twists around umbrellas and New York landmarks. "The Count and the Cobbler" is a sweet, short tale without Bemelmans' trademark two-page spreads. It lacks the depth of plot needed for a long story. In general, this volume falls short of what readers expect from the Madeline series.