ATLANTA — Although he never knew his grandfather, John Bemelmans Marciano felt his presence through the "Madeline" books his mother read to him, family stories and the framed drawing above his bed.
Ludwig Bemelmans, who died in 1962 — eight years before Marciano was born — created the spirited little orphan who lives in an old house in Paris, all covered with vines. Madeline titles have sold more than 11 million copies.
For a larger, high resolution image, click HERE |
Marciano is carrying on the legacy with what is being billed as the first all-new Madeline book in 50 years. Marciano, who lives in Brooklyn, spoke to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently about his new book, "Madeline and the Cats of Rome."
Q: What makes this the first all-new story?
A: My other Madeline books were based partially on my grandfather's work. The first book I did, "Madeline in America," was my grandfather's story with some of my artwork. He'd only done sketches for it.
Q: Where did you get the idea for this book?
A: I lived in Rome in the Piazza Argentina, which is home to a lot of stray cats. I am a huge cat lover and when I was in Rome, I was missing my cats.
Q: What kind of reaction do you get from children and their parents as the grandson of the creator of Madeline?
A: It's always incredible when you hear, especially older folks, who can still recite the text by heart. It's one of those timeless things that kids and their parents really respond to. It makes it hard to carry on because you don't want to make a mess of it.
Kirsten Tagami writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: ktagami AT ajc.com.
