Ludwig Bemelmans (1898–1962)
Author of Madeline
About the Author
Ludwig Bemelmans, April 27, 1898 - October 1, 1962 Ludwig Bemelmans was born on April 27, 1898 in Meran, then Austria. At the age of eight, his parents divorced and he moved with his mother to Regensburg, Germany. He was enrolled into various public and private schools and failed out of most of show more them. At the age of twelve, unsure of what else to do with him, Bemelmans was apprenticed to an uncle in the hotel business and proceeded to go through many jobs, being repeatedly dismissed. After supposedly shooting and almost killing a waiter, his family gave him the ultimatum of reform school or emigration to the United States. He arrived in America in 1914 with reference letters from his uncle to various hotel managers in New York. Bemelmans obtained a job as a waiter in the Ritz-Carlton, but left that job to join the Army in 1917. In the Army, he worked with German speaking recruits and as a military hospital guard. In 1918, Bemelmans became a naturalized citizen, returning to hotel and restaurant work a year later, eventually opening his own restaurant. In the 1934, at the suggestion of one of his friends, Bemelmans began to write, producing his first children's book, "Hansi." He was best known though, for his series of books about the little french girl, "Madeline," which is still a childhood favorite. "Madeline's Rescue," the second book in the series, won the Caldecott Medal in 1953. His first book for adults was entitled, "My War with the United States" and was a diary of his experiences in the service during World War I. In fact, Bemelmans usually wrote his books based on his life experiences, such as "Life Class" and "Hotel Splendide," about his life as a restaurateur, his travels to Ecuador and Italy appeared in "The Donkey Inside" and "Italian Holiday," and his brief stint as a screenwriter in Hollywood was the basis for "Dirty Eddie." Bemelmans wrote about a book or two a year and was a contributor to Town and Country and Horizon, as well as a cover illustrator for The New Yorker. In his later years, Bemelmans enjoyed some small fame from painting, with some of his work appearing in various galleries. Ludwig Bemelmans died of pancreatic cancer in New York on October 1, 1962. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline Quartet: Madeline / Madeline's Rescue / Madeline and the Bad Hat / Madeline in London (1961) 86 copies
A Tale of Two Glimps 3 copies
How to Have Europe All to Yourself 2 copies
New Yorker cover 2 copies
Putzi 2 copies
Bemelmans' New York 1 copy
Madelines Rescue 1 copy
להציל את מדלן 1 copy
The Madeline Classic Storybook Library Box Set (Madeline, Madeline In London, Madeline's Rescue) (1989) 1 copy
Madeline Collection 1 copy
The Borrowed Christmas 1 copy
CD MADELINE Puffin Storytime 1 copy
Sacre du Printemps 1 copy
Associated Works
The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury: Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud (1998) — Author — 1,585 copies
Voor en na middernacht : vierendertig beroemde spook- en griezelverhalen (1949) — Contributor — 7 copies
Shirley Temple Storybook Collection: The Princess and the Goblins / Madeline — Original story — 4 copies
A Caravan of Music Stories by the World's Great Authors — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1898-04-27
- Date of death
- 1962-10-01
- Burial location
- Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, USA
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- Austria-Hungary (birth)
Germany (mother's nationality)
Belgium (father's nationality)
USA (naturalised 1918) - Country (for map)
- USA
- Birthplace
- Meran, Austria-Hungary
- Place of death
- New York, New York, USA
- Cause of death
- cancer
- Places of residence
- Merano, Austria
Regensburg, Germany
New York, New York, USA - Occupations
- hotel work
artist
writer
illustrator
Restaurateur - Relationships
- Marciano, John Bemelmans (grandson)
- Awards and honors
- Caldecott Medal
Members
Reviews
Independent Reading Level: Grades K - 2nd
Awards: Caldecott Honor (1940)
The New York Public Library's 100 Great Children's Books, 100 Years
Awards: Caldecott Honor (1940)
The New York Public Library's 100 Great Children's Books, 100 Years
The is the first book I've read in the series regarding Madeline. I'll be sure to read more. In this rhyming book, Madelne's adventure includes the story of 12 little girls walking the two straight lines, leaving the house at half past nine.
Madeline, living in Paris, France is the smallest, fell from the wall and was rescued by a dog. The dog became part of the every day life of the group of the girls and their Mistress who took care of them. When a huge snow storm occurred, Lord Cucuface that the dog was a perfect disgrace and ushered him out the door into the snow.
The hunt for the dog was fruitless, and at night finally he was found. The 12 girls continued to argue regarding who would have the dog sleep with them. If they did not stop fighting the dog would need to leave. As the Mistress who previously made the dog stay outside discovered, there was a litter of puppies awaiting their dog.
All were more than happy as each little girl had her own dog to walk and pet all day and night long.
I liked the snappy poetic rhyming of the story!… (more)
Madeline, living in Paris, France is the smallest, fell from the wall and was rescued by a dog. The dog became part of the every day life of the group of the girls and their Mistress who took care of them. When a huge snow storm occurred, Lord Cucuface that the dog was a perfect disgrace and ushered him out the door into the snow.
The hunt for the dog was fruitless, and at night finally he was found. The 12 girls continued to argue regarding who would have the dog sleep with them. If they did not stop fighting the dog would need to leave. As the Mistress who previously made the dog stay outside discovered, there was a litter of puppies awaiting their dog.
All were more than happy as each little girl had her own dog to walk and pet all day and night long.
I liked the snappy poetic rhyming of the story!… (more)
Lists
Christmas Books (1)
Five in a Row (1)
Five star books (1)
Childhood books (1)
al.vick-series (1)
A Novel Cure (1)
1950s (2)
French Books (2)
Five in a Row (1)
Newbery Adjacent (1)
Sonlight Books (1)
1930s (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 81
- Also by
- 35
- Members
- 25,704
- Popularity
- #813
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 475
- ISBNs
- 382
- Languages
- 13
- Favorited
- 8
If I had read this before I published my own memoir (No Regrets: A Life in Catalonia), this would have been an inspiration because I also tell a variety of stories, and hopefully with some wit and humor.