Title:  Madeline and the Bad Hat

Author:  Ludwig Bemelmans

Genre:  France / Friendship / Manners 

Year Published: 1956

Year Read: 1993

Series:  Madeline #3

Publisher: The Viking Press

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 5+  (Some Mild Violence and Mischievous Behavior)

“Madeline and the Bad Hat” is another book created by Ludwig Bemelmans’ famous “Madeline” collection (and was also transformed into an episode for the “Madeline” cartoon series) that details Madeline’s adventures in France. This time, Madeline meets up with Pepito, the Bad Hat, who causes trouble for Madeline and the other girls. This book might be the darkest of all the “Madeline” books, but its exciting storyline and cute illustrations make up for that. 

Ludwig Bemelmans does an excellent job on both illustrations and writing Madeline’s newest adventure. Ludwig Bemelmans writes the story in a rhyming text, the most memorable lines being: 

“And lo and behold, the former Barbarian, 
turned into a vegetarian.” 

Ludwig Bemelmans chooses his words carefully to make sure that the story moves along smoothly without making the rhyming text sound like nonsense. Ludwig Bemelmans’ illustrations are also highlighted in this book as he draws the characters in simplistic yet colorful images. I especially like the way that he makes some of the images be shown in yellow and white coloring and some images where he uses all types of colors such as the image where he shows the landscape of Paris. 



Parents should know that there are some violent and sad scenes in this book. Children might see the scenes where Pepito cuts off the chickens’ heads and eats them (even though we do not see the chickens’ heads being cut off but we do see a guillotine and chickens being dragged by their necks towards the guillotine) and the scene where he is attacked by dogs (this is more graphic as we see dogs jumping on top of Pepito) as both sad and violent. Parents who do not want their children to be exposed to this type of violence might want to skip these pages to avoid any discomfort from the children. 

“Madeline and the Bad Hat” is one of the most deep and darkest of all the “Madeline” books, but is also a cute story about the consequences of being bad and how one can redeem his or herself if they have done horrible things to other people such as Pepito trying to make things right after his bad behavior. I would strongly recommend this book to children ages five and up due to the smaller children being a bit worried about the violent and sad scenes displayed in this book.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

I remember reading this novel like all the Madeline novels as a child. I guess I must have liked them more when I was a child because as I read this novel, I wasn't completely in love with it. It is definitely dated with it's text as little Madeline decides to join up with the gypsies. She does have a wonderful time and I guess perhaps that is part of everyone childhood, living a life different from your own. I did enjoy when Madeline was in costume with her friend, that was funny and an adventure in itself. We all know where Madeline belongs in the end , living amongst the "twelve little girls in two straight lines."

Grade Level 3.8

Madeline is a great story to introduce young students to scary concepts, like having surgery or going to the hospital, through a fictional tale.

I may have heard about this series/this book before, however it really came to my attention yesterday, when someone I friended on Goodreads read this one. It looked fun, and right up my alley.

And did it turn out to be that way? Yes, though it wasn't because of the so-called timelessly appealing art (What was so appealing to it?), but because of the adorable story with wonderful, sweet characters. Characters like the Miss Clavel, Madeline, but also the other girls.

Especially Madeline quickly turned to a favourite with her bravery, but also with how she stood out from all the others. I did feel terribly sorry for her when that event happened, though it seems she doesn't mind she got something to show off, and also her daddy sent her quite a few nice new gifts to enjoy.

I loved how the story introduced us to the group of children and their caretaker, how they go through their day with excursions, trips, and more. It does seem oh so much fun, though I do have to say I might not be all too happy if I were dragged outside while it rained.

As I said, the art, meh. I am not sure what the appeal is. It did seem that some scenes got more attention then others (especially if those scenes featured French buildings). But mostly I just focused on the text as that was way nicer.

All in all though I would recommend this one, and I will see if I can find the other books in this series.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com

Madeline has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. This story is based in France where a little girl named Madeline lives in a convent. Madeline is the most daring of all the little girls that she lives with. One night, Madeline wakes up in terrible pain and finds out that she has to get rid of her appendix. The other little girls visit her in the hospital and decide that they want to have their appendix removed too! This book is a super fun read. Your little ones are sure to be fascinated with it. In fact, they will probably  have a million questions about what they are seeing and reading! 

Use in the classroom: I would use this book as a way to introduce my students to a world of new things! I would have word sorts and creative writing projects. My students will be immersed in facts about France. I might even have my students do a little research project on French culture and how it differs from American. I would  connect the author's life to the text and show how they correlate. Finally, I would have a French party at the end (French food, music, colors, etc.)

Target grade: 1st or 2nd