I'm leaving for Paris next week and wonder if there are any tourist attractions focusing on the Madeleine books - my granddaughters( ages 4 and 7) want an autograph, a picture of the house, a book in French - has anyone in Paris capitalized on this character? are there places to see?
Posted by
Fort Wayne, IN, USA
2349 posts
I didn't look for tourist attractions, but I did look in the children's sections of a few book stores and found absolutely nothing. Not even one Madeline book. Maybe I was just unlucky. In googling further, it looks as if the books were written in English, and not translated from French as I had assumed. And, voila, I found this site. It is just what you're looking for! http://onoloa.net/4436.html
Posted by
Atlanta, Ga, USA
2023 posts
Years ago I bought a Madeline book, French version, at the now closed Samarataine. There is a great little children's book store on Rue Champs du Mars-near Rue Cler. I was just there in May and they have the book(s). The owner speaks English. Look in the Monmarte area for an old house covered in vines. If you want to buy berets for the children look at the kiosks behind Notre Dame-five euros each-many colors. Also, there is a nice toy store on Rue Cherchi Midi but I cannot remember the name of it-lots of Babar items.
Posted by
California USA
4103 posts
Great link Fort Wayne Karen. We did a similar search for our then 4 year year old granddaughter a couple of years ago when we were in Paris. We snapped pictures of vine covered, wrought iron bedecked, brick buildings. We stood on Pont Neuf and took our pictures leaning over the side. We went to the opposite bank of the Seine to take pictures. We emailed the pictures to her over several days and then called her on Skyped before we left Paris. After several minutes of talking, she asked us the most difficult question "but grandma, did you SEE MADELEINE". We tried to find a book in French to bring home to her, but as Karen (FW) says, the books were written in the US and never caught on in France. I did manage to find a French edition by looking at Amazon-Canada where they are marketed. Last year we went to England and took the now 8 year old granddaughter with her Madeleine in London book so that she could find some of the sites herself. This was a big hit for all of us, and at this age she didn't ask about Madeleine's whereabouts.