Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline, the character, is a student at an all-girl boarding school in Paris that is lead by a nun named Miss Clavel. Miss Clavel runs an orderly operation where the girls are in two straight lines as they “break their bread, and brush their teeth, and went to bed”. But Madeline has a tendency to test the waters with Miss Clavel (which results in many other adventures: Madeline’s Rescue, Madeline in London, Madeline and the Bad Hat, Madeline and the Gypsies).

In this book, Ludwig Bemelman uses brisk rhyming to tell the story of how Miss Clavel’s regular routine is disrupted when Madeline gets an attack of appendicitis one night and is rushed to the hospital. With great concern Miss Clavel and the other girls quietly visit Madeline in the hospital only to find “toys and candy and the dollhouse from Papa!”

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Madeline Bemelmans, Ludwig AR Quiz No. 5478 EN Fiction  IL: LG - BL: 3.1 - AR Pts: 0.5  AR Quiz Types: RP, RV  Rating:  Madeline, smallest and naughtiest of the 12 little charges of Miss Clavel, wakes up one night with an attack of appendicitis.

Fun & Games

Finger Puppets.

Crossword Puzzle.
More Activities.

Olivia by Ian Falconer

Olivia is the quintessential renaissance pig. She is at once fashion designer, dancer, architect, artist, and big sister. And she's quite precocious. Olivia is charming, cultured, and yet she acts just like a child. Which, I believe, is why she is just so lovable. And isn't that what many parents want?

Most children will not enjoy this subtley sophisticated children's picture book by Ian Falconer for the same reason adults do, with it's clever allusions to grand works of art, ballets, and great architecture. But anyone can appreciate Olivia's confident, I-know-who-I-am (and who I am not), well-adjusted, creative personality, her dislike of nap-time, and her love of playing dress up and moving the family cat. Parents will appreciate Olivia's boundless energy and her ability to fill her day full of activities and movement.

The plot of Olivia is more of a snapshot of a day in the life of Olivia, than a problem-solution format. Yet still a splendid and entertaining read.

And then there is the book's design. Falconer's illustrations use a 3-color scheme of black and white with bold splashes of fire engine red. His illustrations suggest high end art and culture, while the splashy red represents the fearless personality and childish individuality of Falconer's title character. The book is itself a work of art.

With so much success from his first book, it is no surprise that Falconer has continued Olivia's legacy with additional stories. Falconer combines a story with signature-style illustrations, which are sure to become instant classics. You could easily plan a storytime theme around Olivia in her many iterations.

Olivia stands on her own. You could certainly include her in any pig-themed lesson, with so many other pig-themed books out there, but it isn't necessary

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Olivia Falconer, Ian AR Quiz No. 44266 EN Fiction  IL: LG - BL: 2.0 - AR Pts: 0.5  AR Quiz Types: RP, RV  Rating:  Whether at home getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach, or at bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good.

Games and videos here and here.

Coloring page here.