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Madlenka
Madlenka
A trip around a city block is like a trip around the world!
Peeking out through a die-cut window on the jacket, Madlenka invites the reader to enter her world. And what a world it is! On the surface, it looks like an ordinary city block, but as we meet Madlenka's neighbors -- the French baker, the Indian news vendor, the Italian ice-cream man, the Latin American grocer, a retired opera singer from Germany, an African American school friend, and the Asian shopkeeper -- and look through die-cut windows to the images and memories they have carried from old country to new, we can see that Madlenka's block is as richly varied as its inhabitants. And why is Madlenka going around the block, jumping for joy? Her tooth is loose, and she wants everyone to know!
Madlenka is a 2000 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year. This title has Common Core connections.
Peeking out through a die-cut window on the jacket, Madlenka invites the reader to enter her world. And what a world it is! On the surface, it looks like an ordinary city block, but as we meet Madlenka's neighbors -- the French baker, the Indian news vendor, the Italian ice-cream man, the Latin American grocer, a retired opera singer from Germany, an African American school friend, and the Asian shopkeeper -- and look through die-cut windows to the images and memories they have carried from old country to new, we can see that Madlenka's block is as richly varied as its inhabitants. And why is Madlenka going around the block, jumping for joy? Her tooth is loose, and she wants everyone to know!
Madlenka is a 2000 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year. This title has Common Core connections.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2000
10 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Peter Sís
98books227followersPETER SÍS is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, filmmaker, painter and author. Born in 1949 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and grew up in Prague. He studied painting and filmmaking at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. His animated work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. He came to America in 1982, and now lives in New York's Hudson Valley with his family. Peter Sís is the first children's book artist to be named a MacArthur Fellow. In 2012 he won The Hans Christian Andersen Award.
His many distinguished books include Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei, Tibet: Through the Red Box, Madlenka, Rainbow Rhino, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, and The Conference of the Birds.
His many distinguished books include Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei, Tibet: Through the Red Box, Madlenka, Rainbow Rhino, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, and The Conference of the Birds.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
July 29, 2023
When Madlenka, who lives in a vibrant and culturally diverse New York City neighbourhood has a loose tooth, she decides to visit her many friends and tell them of this momentous news. Her visiting makes her late, and when her worried parents ask their daughter where she he has been, Madlenka replies that she has been on a trip around the world (and that she has finally lost her tooth).
I very much love and appreciate the premise of this sparsely narrated, lushly illustrated picture book. While there is adequate textual information provided (like the opening and all encompassing concept of Madlenka's loose tooth, the different greetings of Madlenka's diverse friends, bonjour, sathsariakal, buon giorno, guten Tag, hola, tashi delek), much of the details, much of the cultural information is presented with and by the lush and intricately detailed illustrations. I believe children (as well as adults who enjoy hidden object pictures) will love poring over the many small images, attempting to locate objects, stories, culturally significant buildings in Peter Sis' illustrative spreads.
However, and as someone who has always had a bit of difficulty successfully locating hidden objects in picture puzzles, I find it kind of frustrating and annoying that author/illustrator Peter Sis has not also included a list of items to be found, to be located (at the back of the book), as I am sure I missed quite a number of them. But even more than a list of searchable images/articles, what this book, what Madlenka is truly and sadly lacking, is additional cultural and geographic information on the diverse items and scenes depicted (both the more obvious ones and the puzzle-like images hidden in the larger illustrations). These will more than likely give rise to both questions and discussions, and additional informative details on, say, the Grimms' fairy tales, the Eiffel Tower, the pyramids of Latin America, Cleopatra and so forth would have changed Peter Sis' Madlenka from an entertaining and moderately informative puzzle-search picture book offering to an amazing teaching and learning tool, not only for at home, but also in-class use.
About the illustrations themselves, while I think that they are lush, evocative and imaginative, I do find some of the colour sequences Peter Sis has used visually problematic. For example, the dark gray colour scheme of the full-page illustrated section on France makes it quite difficult for me to discern some of the buildings depicted, and I have similar visual issues regarding the full-page spread depicting Germany, as the all-green colour scale makes certain of the stories and literary figures rather difficult to distinguish from each other and from the equally green background. Also, I cannot help but wonder if younger children might not potentially be frightened by some of the illustrations (I know that I would have found rather a few of the images, particularly in the German, Asian and Latin American sections rather creepy and frightening as a young child). All in all though, and my disappointment at the lack of supplemental cultural information notwithstanding, I do strongly and warmly recommend Madlenka to and for children interested in world geography and world culture, especially if said children also enjoy looking for hidden images, hidden objects.
I very much love and appreciate the premise of this sparsely narrated, lushly illustrated picture book. While there is adequate textual information provided (like the opening and all encompassing concept of Madlenka's loose tooth, the different greetings of Madlenka's diverse friends, bonjour, sathsariakal, buon giorno, guten Tag, hola, tashi delek), much of the details, much of the cultural information is presented with and by the lush and intricately detailed illustrations. I believe children (as well as adults who enjoy hidden object pictures) will love poring over the many small images, attempting to locate objects, stories, culturally significant buildings in Peter Sis' illustrative spreads.
However, and as someone who has always had a bit of difficulty successfully locating hidden objects in picture puzzles, I find it kind of frustrating and annoying that author/illustrator Peter Sis has not also included a list of items to be found, to be located (at the back of the book), as I am sure I missed quite a number of them. But even more than a list of searchable images/articles, what this book, what Madlenka is truly and sadly lacking, is additional cultural and geographic information on the diverse items and scenes depicted (both the more obvious ones and the puzzle-like images hidden in the larger illustrations). These will more than likely give rise to both questions and discussions, and additional informative details on, say, the Grimms' fairy tales, the Eiffel Tower, the pyramids of Latin America, Cleopatra and so forth would have changed Peter Sis' Madlenka from an entertaining and moderately informative puzzle-search picture book offering to an amazing teaching and learning tool, not only for at home, but also in-class use.
About the illustrations themselves, while I think that they are lush, evocative and imaginative, I do find some of the colour sequences Peter Sis has used visually problematic. For example, the dark gray colour scheme of the full-page illustrated section on France makes it quite difficult for me to discern some of the buildings depicted, and I have similar visual issues regarding the full-page spread depicting Germany, as the all-green colour scale makes certain of the stories and literary figures rather difficult to distinguish from each other and from the equally green background. Also, I cannot help but wonder if younger children might not potentially be frightened by some of the illustrations (I know that I would have found rather a few of the images, particularly in the German, Asian and Latin American sections rather creepy and frightening as a young child). All in all though, and my disappointment at the lack of supplemental cultural information notwithstanding, I do strongly and warmly recommend Madlenka to and for children interested in world geography and world culture, especially if said children also enjoy looking for hidden images, hidden objects.
April 16, 2011
I saw this book and on the library’s shelf and borrowed them both. I started off with a “Huh?� and ended up being charmed. However, a few of the inclusions for various places perplexed me.
Madlenka lives in New York City, and when she finds a loose tooth she goes off to tell everybody in the neighborhood, a diverse neighborhood. Depending on whom she’s relating with, depending on where they’re originally from, they call her variations of her name.
There is a map at the back and throughout the book there are miniature pictures of things associated with various parts of the world. There are cutouts. Readers frequently have to turn pages a full 360 degrees to properly read and see everything. I love tiny pictures and I loved many that are in this book. There are also several pictures, ones that tend to take up a full page, that some children might find frightening; they’re not horrifying, but I think their potential for scaring some kids should be noted; I’d guess most kids will be fine when viewing them.
It’s a great book for girls ages 6 & 7 and thereabouts, and all kids who are losing baby teeth and are excited about it, as Madlenka is. I like how Madlenka goes "around the world" right in her NYC neighborhood. NYC kids should appreciate this book too!
Madlenka lives in New York City, and when she finds a loose tooth she goes off to tell everybody in the neighborhood, a diverse neighborhood. Depending on whom she’s relating with, depending on where they’re originally from, they call her variations of her name.
There is a map at the back and throughout the book there are miniature pictures of things associated with various parts of the world. There are cutouts. Readers frequently have to turn pages a full 360 degrees to properly read and see everything. I love tiny pictures and I loved many that are in this book. There are also several pictures, ones that tend to take up a full page, that some children might find frightening; they’re not horrifying, but I think their potential for scaring some kids should be noted; I’d guess most kids will be fine when viewing them.
It’s a great book for girls ages 6 & 7 and thereabouts, and all kids who are losing baby teeth and are excited about it, as Madlenka is. I like how Madlenka goes "around the world" right in her NYC neighborhood. NYC kids should appreciate this book too!
August 29, 2011
“Madlenka� is a children’s book by Peter Sis, illustrator of Rabbit Ears� “Rumpelstiltskin,� and was a selection for the ŷ Children’s book Picture Book Club and it details how a young girl named Madlenka goes around the city telling everyone that her tooth is loose while learning about other cultures from her neighbors. “Madlenka� is a truly cute story about exploring different cultures one neighborhood at a time!
When I first started reading this little unique gem of a book, I was totally blown away by the concept and the illustrations of this book! Peter Sis has done a brilliant job with both the writing and the illustrations in this book and I truly enjoyed the different perspectives of the world that this book takes. I loved the way that Peter Sis gave the readers information about various countries that were explained through Madlenka’s neighbors and my favorite parts of this story was how Peter Sis introduced a variety of different greetings from each person that Madlenka meets along the way such as Mr. Gaston, the French baker greeting Madlenka by saying “Bonjour,� which is French for “hello� and Ms. Grimm, an old lady from Germany who greets Madlenka by saying “Guten tag.� It was always interesting learning about the different greetings from around the world and I had the pleasure of repeating these phrases and learning about them every time. Peter Sis� illustrations are extremely beautiful and creative at the same time as Madlenka is always exploring different cultures through her mind. I loved the way that Peter Sis designed the pages to have die cut out windows in the middle of the pages so that way, when children turn the pages, not only will they see another country through Madlenka’s eyes, but they will spot Madlenka on the other side of the page through the die cute window in the middle of the page. The images that really stood out for me were of how Madlenka viewed the other countries through her eyes as countries like France, Latin America, Germany and Asia were colored in dark and shadowed coloring which gives the images a somewhat creepy yet imaginative view on the other countries and their cultures. I especially loved the image of Germany through Madlenka’s mind as it is mainly in dark green shadowing colors and you can see various surreal creatures popping out at you such as monsters and animals in the background.
The reason why I gave this book a four star rating is because even though I loved the concept about exploring different countries, I sort of wished that this book also explored other countries that were rarely mentioned such as Russia, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Greece and many others. I know that is a lot to ask for a children’s book, but I wanted to explore countries I have barely heard of and I am always looking forward to exploring every single country around the world since I want to learn about various cultures around the world and this book could have shown a more simplistic version of exploring various countries that were rarely discussed through a children’s book.
Overall, “Madlenka� is a cute story for children who are interested in learning about other countries and their cultures and many children will surely enjoy this book! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since some of the images might be a tad bit too creepy for smaller children.
When I first started reading this little unique gem of a book, I was totally blown away by the concept and the illustrations of this book! Peter Sis has done a brilliant job with both the writing and the illustrations in this book and I truly enjoyed the different perspectives of the world that this book takes. I loved the way that Peter Sis gave the readers information about various countries that were explained through Madlenka’s neighbors and my favorite parts of this story was how Peter Sis introduced a variety of different greetings from each person that Madlenka meets along the way such as Mr. Gaston, the French baker greeting Madlenka by saying “Bonjour,� which is French for “hello� and Ms. Grimm, an old lady from Germany who greets Madlenka by saying “Guten tag.� It was always interesting learning about the different greetings from around the world and I had the pleasure of repeating these phrases and learning about them every time. Peter Sis� illustrations are extremely beautiful and creative at the same time as Madlenka is always exploring different cultures through her mind. I loved the way that Peter Sis designed the pages to have die cut out windows in the middle of the pages so that way, when children turn the pages, not only will they see another country through Madlenka’s eyes, but they will spot Madlenka on the other side of the page through the die cute window in the middle of the page. The images that really stood out for me were of how Madlenka viewed the other countries through her eyes as countries like France, Latin America, Germany and Asia were colored in dark and shadowed coloring which gives the images a somewhat creepy yet imaginative view on the other countries and their cultures. I especially loved the image of Germany through Madlenka’s mind as it is mainly in dark green shadowing colors and you can see various surreal creatures popping out at you such as monsters and animals in the background.
The reason why I gave this book a four star rating is because even though I loved the concept about exploring different countries, I sort of wished that this book also explored other countries that were rarely mentioned such as Russia, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Greece and many others. I know that is a lot to ask for a children’s book, but I wanted to explore countries I have barely heard of and I am always looking forward to exploring every single country around the world since I want to learn about various cultures around the world and this book could have shown a more simplistic version of exploring various countries that were rarely discussed through a children’s book.
Overall, “Madlenka� is a cute story for children who are interested in learning about other countries and their cultures and many children will surely enjoy this book! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since some of the images might be a tad bit too creepy for smaller children.
August 27, 2011
I read with my 2 year old. Three times at her request. Part of the thrill of the book had a little something to do with the way we would call out Madlenka's name when we were looking for her on every page.
The story is about a little girl whose tooth is loose. She goes around her New York neighborhood sharing this information with neighbors from around the world. I liked how each person cheerfully greeted Madlenka and said something in their native language.
We enjoyed the cutouts. However, I wasn't a fan of some of the pages. Those particular pages were dark and harder to see. Some of the descriptions of cultures puzzled me. One was the description of things from Asian culture, "different smells."
A children's picture book club read found here:
The story is about a little girl whose tooth is loose. She goes around her New York neighborhood sharing this information with neighbors from around the world. I liked how each person cheerfully greeted Madlenka and said something in their native language.
We enjoyed the cutouts. However, I wasn't a fan of some of the pages. Those particular pages were dark and harder to see. Some of the descriptions of cultures puzzled me. One was the description of things from Asian culture, "different smells."
A children's picture book club read found here:
March 11, 2020
The story is about a little girl whose tooth is loose. Although it sounded like an original story, it was quite boring to read next to that the drawings were dark. Not much conversation going on then every time the same.
This book is in the challenge I am doing.
This book is in the challenge I am doing.
September 16, 2010
This books takes a visually exciting look at the multiculturalism of an American city. It introduces children to a variety of cultures quickly, a few foreign words, and, in the end, offers a world map that pinpoints the origins of all of the people Madlenka tells about her loose tooth. (However, it oddly distinguishes some people by country and others by continent. Is this because children are expected to be able to distinguish the German from the Frenchman but not the Korean from the Chinaman or the Mexican from the Guatamalan?) Although the book's portrayls were a bit stereotypical, overall Madelenka wasn't as inspid and condenscending as most yay-for-mutliculturalism! books I have read. I think that's because it doesn't make a point of lecturing the child about tolerating people of different cultures (as though if not for such lectures children would naturally go up to the Indian newstandman and scream, "Go back to your own country!"); instead, it just presents a variety of diverse figures as a normal part of life. I liked the way the cut outs revealed the often intriguing illustrations on the next page.It's a very busy book, with words all over the pages (you have to turn the book to read the words, as they are written around the pictures), I guess to reflect the general busy nature of city life. I always find that kind of writing in all directions more annoying than cute.
August 18, 2011
Madlenka by follows a small girl as she visits shop owners on her block to tell them about her loose tooth. This trip around the world on her own square block is a multicultural look at the world from New York City.
The sparse text is supplemented with writing on each side of some pictures, making the reader turn the book around to read it, thus changing their perspective. There are lists, with pictures, of what is in a shop, or what is in a country. Each person says hello or greetings in their native language and changes Madlenka's name to the version used in that language or country.
Sis begins by visually pinpointing Madlenka's position, starting with Earth, then New York, then Manhattan, then her area, and her block. Sis used a variety of perspectives in this book particularly with the views of the block. The design of the book, featuring cutouts square and round, generally works well. It is imaginative, adventurous and dreamy.
Several things bothered me about this book. People are sometimes referred to by their native country, others by their continent, which I found inconsistent and confusing. The dark illustrations for France and Germany made it difficult to identify buildings or figures. The lack of a complete list of the cultural and literary elements shown, which would have made this book very useful, was disappointing and frustrating to me. A few of the images might frighten very sensitive children. The concept of a small girl going around her urban block by herself is a bit disconcerting.
Despite these objections, this book should be in school and library collections for its positive qualities of showing diversity in the United States and the world, its imagination, and its artistry and design elements.
For ages 4 to 8, New York City, diversity, loose tooth, multicultural, geography, perspective, and fans of Peter Sis.
The sparse text is supplemented with writing on each side of some pictures, making the reader turn the book around to read it, thus changing their perspective. There are lists, with pictures, of what is in a shop, or what is in a country. Each person says hello or greetings in their native language and changes Madlenka's name to the version used in that language or country.
Sis begins by visually pinpointing Madlenka's position, starting with Earth, then New York, then Manhattan, then her area, and her block. Sis used a variety of perspectives in this book particularly with the views of the block. The design of the book, featuring cutouts square and round, generally works well. It is imaginative, adventurous and dreamy.
Several things bothered me about this book. People are sometimes referred to by their native country, others by their continent, which I found inconsistent and confusing. The dark illustrations for France and Germany made it difficult to identify buildings or figures. The lack of a complete list of the cultural and literary elements shown, which would have made this book very useful, was disappointing and frustrating to me. A few of the images might frighten very sensitive children. The concept of a small girl going around her urban block by herself is a bit disconcerting.
Despite these objections, this book should be in school and library collections for its positive qualities of showing diversity in the United States and the world, its imagination, and its artistry and design elements.
For ages 4 to 8, New York City, diversity, loose tooth, multicultural, geography, perspective, and fans of Peter Sis.
February 29, 2020
Young Madlenka sets out to share the good news - she has a loose tooth! - in this engaging picture-book from the talented Peter Sis, visiting all of her many neighbors in the diverse New York City neighborhood she calls home. From Mr. Gaston, the French baker, to Mr. Singh, the Indian newspaper seller, from Mr. Eduardo, the greengrocer, to Mrs. Kham the shopkeeper, Madlenka moves from friend to friend, and from culture to culture, receiving congratulations and good wishes from all, and becoming Madeleine, Madela, Magdalena and Mandala in turn, until, returning home, she is Madlenka again.
As a celebration of diversity, Madelenka is immensely appealing, highlighting the many cultures to be found on one small block in the city of New York. I did wonder a bit (as I see, have other reviewers) at Sis' decision to describe some of Madlenka's neighbors by their national affiliation (India, Germany, France) and others by their regional one (Latin America, Asia), as I think this is rather confusing. Mrs. Kham is clearly meant to be Tibetan, for instance, so why is she described as "Asian," when Mr. Singh is described as "Indian?" Leaving this inconsistency aside, I enjoyed Madlenka's "world tour," and the idea, implicit in the story, that knowing people from different cultures can enrich one's life. The artwork is, as can be expected, this being Peter Sis, outstanding! Fine etching-like details, sometimes dizzying perspectives, and exciting cut-outs all combine, creating pages that young children will enjoy turning, and poring over. Highly recommended to anyone looking for good children's stories set in New York City, or to fan of Peter Sis!
As a celebration of diversity, Madelenka is immensely appealing, highlighting the many cultures to be found on one small block in the city of New York. I did wonder a bit (as I see, have other reviewers) at Sis' decision to describe some of Madlenka's neighbors by their national affiliation (India, Germany, France) and others by their regional one (Latin America, Asia), as I think this is rather confusing. Mrs. Kham is clearly meant to be Tibetan, for instance, so why is she described as "Asian," when Mr. Singh is described as "Indian?" Leaving this inconsistency aside, I enjoyed Madlenka's "world tour," and the idea, implicit in the story, that knowing people from different cultures can enrich one's life. The artwork is, as can be expected, this being Peter Sis, outstanding! Fine etching-like details, sometimes dizzying perspectives, and exciting cut-outs all combine, creating pages that young children will enjoy turning, and poring over. Highly recommended to anyone looking for good children's stories set in New York City, or to fan of Peter Sis!
August 11, 2017
This is an interesting story about a micro-cosm of world cultures in a NY neighborhood. Madlenka, Madeline, Maddalena, etc. as she is called by her neighbors has a loose tooth and wants to share the news with everyone.
The interesting cultures, foods, and languages that are incorporated into this story (along with the fun writing that is written around the edges of several of the pages) is a creative way to expose children to the diversity and differences among people from different nations and backgrounds.
His illustrations are intricate and gorgeous, if a bit dark, and the story is much more engaging for younger children than the last book we read of his, .
This book was featured as one of the selections for the themed books for the in the Children's Books group here at ŷ.
The interesting cultures, foods, and languages that are incorporated into this story (along with the fun writing that is written around the edges of several of the pages) is a creative way to expose children to the diversity and differences among people from different nations and backgrounds.
His illustrations are intricate and gorgeous, if a bit dark, and the story is much more engaging for younger children than the last book we read of his, .
This book was featured as one of the selections for the themed books for the in the Children's Books group here at ŷ.
August 27, 2011
Madlenka loses her tooth and tells all of her friends in the melting pot of NYC about it. One gets a feel for the many cultures that in some way exist in her neighborhood. A globe at the end of the book showed where everyone had been born.
October 27, 2017
I really loved the illustrations in this one!
October 24, 2008
Sis, Peter, Madlenka, Farrar Straus Giroux, unnumbered pages. Picture book.
Description: Madlenka finds that her tooth is loose and can't wait to tell the whole neighborhood. Living in a city, Madlenka's neighbors are from all over the world. Each of the neighbor's originating country is briefly described as Madlenka travels around the block.
Review: While Madlenka's story is relatively simple, the book's pages are packed with a great deal of visual detail. The neighborhood is shown from a sort of flattened bird's eye perspective, which allows for all buildings to be seen at once. The edges of each page are crowded with sketches of things that come from the neighbors' home countries. The text wraps around the page, so that the reader must turn the book upside down to read it. Through a window on opposite pages, readers catch a glimpse of a two page illustration that grandly depicts a scene from the home country. This pattern is repeated throughout the book. This unique construction will entice some readers to learn about different cultures through the imagery. Young children will also relate to Madlenka losing her tooth.
Professional Reviews:
Auerbach, Barbara. School Library Journal, Sept. 2005, Vol. 51 Issue 9, p60.
Auerbach's review very briefly describes Madlenka's glimpses into different cultures. There is not any evaluative content in this review, but Auerbach's description is accurate.
Fleishhacker, Joy. School Library Journal, Jan. 2004, Vol. 50 Issue 1, p78.
This review stresses the dreamlike quality of the book's imagery and how it transforms Madlenka's walk into a trip around the world. I agree that the illustrations contribute greatly to the story that is being told.
Description: Madlenka finds that her tooth is loose and can't wait to tell the whole neighborhood. Living in a city, Madlenka's neighbors are from all over the world. Each of the neighbor's originating country is briefly described as Madlenka travels around the block.
Review: While Madlenka's story is relatively simple, the book's pages are packed with a great deal of visual detail. The neighborhood is shown from a sort of flattened bird's eye perspective, which allows for all buildings to be seen at once. The edges of each page are crowded with sketches of things that come from the neighbors' home countries. The text wraps around the page, so that the reader must turn the book upside down to read it. Through a window on opposite pages, readers catch a glimpse of a two page illustration that grandly depicts a scene from the home country. This pattern is repeated throughout the book. This unique construction will entice some readers to learn about different cultures through the imagery. Young children will also relate to Madlenka losing her tooth.
Professional Reviews:
Auerbach, Barbara. School Library Journal, Sept. 2005, Vol. 51 Issue 9, p60.
Auerbach's review very briefly describes Madlenka's glimpses into different cultures. There is not any evaluative content in this review, but Auerbach's description is accurate.
Fleishhacker, Joy. School Library Journal, Jan. 2004, Vol. 50 Issue 1, p78.
This review stresses the dreamlike quality of the book's imagery and how it transforms Madlenka's walk into a trip around the world. I agree that the illustrations contribute greatly to the story that is being told.
December 11, 2011
I like Peter Sis as an author, and this book did not disappoint!
This was the story of Madlenka, a girl who lives in a big diverse city. When she has a loose tooth, she wanders around her neighborhood, giving us an introduction to all of her ethnic neighbors! We learn how they say hello, the kinds of foods that come from their country, and so on.
It was a really cute and fun story, and the kids loved hearing all of the different information about the countries. I would definitely read this again! We read it during our communities unit and talked about how Madlenka lives in an urban community. :)
This was the story of Madlenka, a girl who lives in a big diverse city. When she has a loose tooth, she wanders around her neighborhood, giving us an introduction to all of her ethnic neighbors! We learn how they say hello, the kinds of foods that come from their country, and so on.
It was a really cute and fun story, and the kids loved hearing all of the different information about the countries. I would definitely read this again! We read it during our communities unit and talked about how Madlenka lives in an urban community. :)
March 21, 2010
First, the other reviewer (on Amazon) is correct when stating that there's something wrong about carefully distinguishing between Italy, Germany, and France... but then having one person from "Latin America" and another from "Asia". These are continents, not countries - continents with diverse ethnic groups and cultures, and, of course, many different nations.
I also found the format of the book, while visually interesting, to be difficult and frustrating to read. It's hard to manage as a read-aloud... and it may also be too complicated for some young readers.
I also found the format of the book, while visually interesting, to be difficult and frustrating to read. It's hard to manage as a read-aloud... and it may also be too complicated for some young readers.
February 10, 2011
There was a time in my life when I just did not get Peter Sis at all. I would stare at his illustrations and his text and not understand what the hoopla was.
Well, today I spent a great deal of time dissecting an image out of this book, and I reached an epiphany, where I finally saw what Sis was doing with the book, how the border is a microcosm for the whole, and how each portion of the image represents what he wants the book to mean, down to the color and thickness of the outlines, and it blew my mind.
Well, today I spent a great deal of time dissecting an image out of this book, and I reached an epiphany, where I finally saw what Sis was doing with the book, how the border is a microcosm for the whole, and how each portion of the image represents what he wants the book to mean, down to the color and thickness of the outlines, and it blew my mind.
November 11, 2016
Wow! Just wonderful! A little girl explores her neighborhood (New York City) and shares her big news will all her friends (who come from all over the world). Lush art and fascinating design make the physical book itself part of the exploration. Excellent invitation for children to explore other cultures (albeit somewhat superficially) through the people they meet.
I'm thrilled to find that there are several "Madlenka" spin-offs. I hope they're as fantastic as this first one.
I'm thrilled to find that there are several "Madlenka" spin-offs. I hope they're as fantastic as this first one.
March 17, 2014
Notes:
weirdest book we've ever read
text is written sideways and even upside down
pictures are borderline creepy
my kids didn't even want to finish it and that never happens
names and greetings in other languages make it hard to read aloud
weirdest book we've ever read
text is written sideways and even upside down
pictures are borderline creepy
my kids didn't even want to finish it and that never happens
names and greetings in other languages make it hard to read aloud
July 20, 2012
Great story for kids who are the right age to be losing teeth. With Peter Sis's amazing illustrations.
December 27, 2019
My girlfriend read this to me. It's a book that you won't want to loose.
March 8, 2020
It was great for a child to have such a diverse group of friends on one city block that she felt she had to tell about her loose tooth. I wish that we all lived in the midst of such diversity.
December 3, 2021
What a beautiful and interesting way to share the vastness of the world we live in! Who knew a kid with a loose tooth could take us on such a journey.
Madlenka lives in good old New York City. This story could hardly have taken place anywhere else. I am hard-pressed to explain the genius of the artistry in this book. The story begins, "In the universe, on a planet, on a continent, in a country, in a city, on a block, in a house, in a window, in the rain, a girl named Madlenka finds out her tooth wiggles." A lovely, vague clue of what's to come.
Off she goes to tell everyone the news of her wiggly tooth. First, we get a glimpse of a gray and dismal city block with one shop lit up the French baker, then another- the Indian gallery owner, and another- the Hispanic plant guy, and on and on around the world. Each person she meets introduces the reader to a new way of saying hello in their native language, and the visually compelling art surrounding them explains a little bit about their culture.
Somehow, we get the feeling of the enormity of the world and the close comfort of community- the variety of differences between cultures and how little they matter when a little girl is excited about something.
The center cut-out pages that encircle Madlenka demonstrate how all these people protect and embrace her in various ways.
This book is pretty just to look at for younger children and a great introduction to bigger-picture conversations about diversity, tolerance, love, and kindness. I wouldn't call this a read-aloud book, though. It’s a sit-at-a-table-and-pore-over-the-pictures book. It's a find-something-you-don't-understand-and-let's-talk-about-it book.
Madlenka lives in good old New York City. This story could hardly have taken place anywhere else. I am hard-pressed to explain the genius of the artistry in this book. The story begins, "In the universe, on a planet, on a continent, in a country, in a city, on a block, in a house, in a window, in the rain, a girl named Madlenka finds out her tooth wiggles." A lovely, vague clue of what's to come.
Off she goes to tell everyone the news of her wiggly tooth. First, we get a glimpse of a gray and dismal city block with one shop lit up the French baker, then another- the Indian gallery owner, and another- the Hispanic plant guy, and on and on around the world. Each person she meets introduces the reader to a new way of saying hello in their native language, and the visually compelling art surrounding them explains a little bit about their culture.
Somehow, we get the feeling of the enormity of the world and the close comfort of community- the variety of differences between cultures and how little they matter when a little girl is excited about something.
The center cut-out pages that encircle Madlenka demonstrate how all these people protect and embrace her in various ways.
This book is pretty just to look at for younger children and a great introduction to bigger-picture conversations about diversity, tolerance, love, and kindness. I wouldn't call this a read-aloud book, though. It’s a sit-at-a-table-and-pore-over-the-pictures book. It's a find-something-you-don't-understand-and-let's-talk-about-it book.
January 31, 2021
Madlenka is an imaginative picturebook with a lovely message: thanks to the diversity in New York City, “a trip around the block is like a trip around the world.�
Unlike in the previous Peter Sís' picturebook, , I appreciated the creative book design in Madlenka. We get a few cut-outs into the imaginary worlds of different cultures, and just like Madlenka, the text often travels around the block.
Peter Sís' illustrations are gorgeous: so detailed, so imaginative, so much to look at, and we get to see a block in NYC from different perspectives.
However� we get representation of France, India, Italy, Germany, Latin America, Egypt and Asia. Hmm� neither Latin America nor Asia are countries, you know.
Unlike in the previous Peter Sís' picturebook, , I appreciated the creative book design in Madlenka. We get a few cut-outs into the imaginary worlds of different cultures, and just like Madlenka, the text often travels around the block.
Peter Sís' illustrations are gorgeous: so detailed, so imaginative, so much to look at, and we get to see a block in NYC from different perspectives.
However� we get representation of France, India, Italy, Germany, Latin America, Egypt and Asia. Hmm� neither Latin America nor Asia are countries, you know.
February 17, 2017
I love so much about this book! 1. the pictures are wonderful. Detailed, yet somewhat whimsical in their reality. The perspective is really fun and interesting. 2. My 7 yr old daughter has been learning about continents and loved that many were mentioned and she knew them. 3. I loved that they showed different languages (even her name translated), which was fun to talk about. 4. The 2 page spreads about each person's homeland which showed many cultural icons were amazing. 5. The simplicity of losing a tooth being an exciting sign of growing up no matter where you're from. 6. The American melting pot shown so well in a NY city block.
November 19, 2018
Rating: 3.5
Something tells me that the more times I read this book, the more details I'll notice. On a first read with a young child, I'd just focus on who Madlenka visits in each of the buildings as she goes around the block. Then, when Madlenka's safely back in her own apartment, I'd ask the child which one place he/she would most like to visit. And, of course, the most interesting part of that discussion will be listening to the reasons for the child's decision.
I have a question. Do authors usually try out the story on kids as they write and revise?
Something tells me that the more times I read this book, the more details I'll notice. On a first read with a young child, I'd just focus on who Madlenka visits in each of the buildings as she goes around the block. Then, when Madlenka's safely back in her own apartment, I'd ask the child which one place he/she would most like to visit. And, of course, the most interesting part of that discussion will be listening to the reasons for the child's decision.
I have a question. Do authors usually try out the story on kids as they write and revise?
March 22, 2017
I liked this book a lot more this time than I liked it last time. Peter Sis has a habit of wrapping his text around the pages and using cutouts and random lists and object names. The first time I read this book I thought it was a bit gimmicky, but, on my second read through I liked it a lot more.
It's a book that demonstrates the diversity in NYC and talks a bit about some of the people who make up one city block.
It's a cute book, perhaps a little hard to read simply because of the font choice and word wrapping.
It's a book that demonstrates the diversity in NYC and talks a bit about some of the people who make up one city block.
It's a cute book, perhaps a little hard to read simply because of the font choice and word wrapping.
October 10, 2020
I like what this book tried to do - to show that our own little worlds contain the whole world in them. However, I found it odd that France, Germany, and Italy all got special mention and characters, yet there were only three characters to represent all of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Why was there not just one character to represent all of Europe? How can one character represent an entire continent?
December 7, 2018
This book has illustrations that have a square design. Occasionally, the little girl Madlenka, gets pulled into another culture, land, and her picture is seen in the square with a circle showing another page. Lovely. It requires reading in all kinds of angles, seeing all kinds of visual information, and understanding all kinds of kind people from all over the world.
July 19, 2013
An unusual, inventive book.
Madlenka's tooth is loose.
But from there, the story gets bigger and wider. In fact, by telling the people in her building/city, Madlenka practically travels the world with the news.
Madlenka's tooth is loose.
But from there, the story gets bigger and wider. In fact, by telling the people in her building/city, Madlenka practically travels the world with the news.
September 11, 2015
The story is so so, but I liked that it was done with an original idea how to display the written words.
March 18, 2021
Title (italicize): Madlenka
Author/Illustrator: Peter Sís
Genre: Concept Book
Theme(s): Diverse populations
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): "In the universe, on a planet, on a continent, in a country, in a city, on a block, in a house, in a window, in the rain, a little girl Madlenka finds out her tooth wiggles."
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This book tells a story about a little girl who's tooth is loose and wants to tell everyone around the world "in her diverse block". As she goes around her block, she learns about geography and languages around the world.
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): NY Times describes this book as a fantastic way to dive into a child's imagination while also showing geography and linguistic diversity. Miss Marple's Musings also talks about how this is a great book to help children learn about different cultures. The author/illustrator uses deep colors to provide the rainy setting and uses unique colors for each geographical place.
Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): I love the illustrations and the diversity in the book. It brings you around the world in the small amount of pages and shows you each unique culture.
Dislike(s): I wish there was a little more information on each culture.
Patterns(s): She goes up to each person and says "Hello ___ my tooth is loose!". Each person says hello in their own language and shows some unique monuments and places in each country.
Puzzle(s): How are there so many diverse populations around her in one block?
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):
You could you this book to learn more about linguistic diversity. Each person says their name differently and also says hello in each language. You could do a fun activity where each day you choose a different language to say hello in. You could also have each child pick a culture that they are interested in and do some activities and projects to learn more about.
Author/Illustrator: Peter Sís
Genre: Concept Book
Theme(s): Diverse populations
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): "In the universe, on a planet, on a continent, in a country, in a city, on a block, in a house, in a window, in the rain, a little girl Madlenka finds out her tooth wiggles."
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This book tells a story about a little girl who's tooth is loose and wants to tell everyone around the world "in her diverse block". As she goes around her block, she learns about geography and languages around the world.
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): NY Times describes this book as a fantastic way to dive into a child's imagination while also showing geography and linguistic diversity. Miss Marple's Musings also talks about how this is a great book to help children learn about different cultures. The author/illustrator uses deep colors to provide the rainy setting and uses unique colors for each geographical place.
Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): I love the illustrations and the diversity in the book. It brings you around the world in the small amount of pages and shows you each unique culture.
Dislike(s): I wish there was a little more information on each culture.
Patterns(s): She goes up to each person and says "Hello ___ my tooth is loose!". Each person says hello in their own language and shows some unique monuments and places in each country.
Puzzle(s): How are there so many diverse populations around her in one block?
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):
You could you this book to learn more about linguistic diversity. Each person says their name differently and also says hello in each language. You could do a fun activity where each day you choose a different language to say hello in. You could also have each child pick a culture that they are interested in and do some activities and projects to learn more about.
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