Ludwig Bemelmans Favorite Stories

3.5★

I have such a fondness for Ludwig Bemelmans' Madeline that I just had to have a look at this recently published book of some of the author’s other work. I can see why it isn’t as well known.

This is a quaint little collection of stories. The first “Hansi”, has several chapters and tells very simply how Hansi lives, where he goes, who he visits and what he eats. He lives in Tyrol, which is in western Austria, and although we don’t know the date, in the village he visits, there are only horses and carts and steam locomotives in the drawings.

The drawings are charming and colourful (not like Madeleine, though), and the descriptions of Hansi’s life and his wintry holiday with his aunt and uncle are simple and pleasant enough, but without a plot.

“Hansi stood there like a little sack of potatoes. Words trickled out of him in a very thin line. There was a long piece which mother had asked him to say—with much love in it, some news, and a kiss for everybody—this became a mumbled, 'Yes, Mom’s fine.' "

Some of the details (food, houses) were a bit interesting, but there was no story to speak of. It was very much the sort of thing a boy might have written home to tell his parents that we did this, then we did that, then we went here. In fact, the following paragraph which describes Hansi could have been written about his story as well.

“There were boys who could make pretty speeches. They would say, 'I have had a lovely trip, dear Uncle, and I am very happy to find you and dear Aunt Amalie so well', with a little bow at the end. But Hansi just wasn’t one of those. For his kind of boy there is only one thing to do—find a stone in front of you, look at it with great interest, and then push it back and forth with the toe of your boot—and hope it will soon be over. Yes, no, and hm, hm, are the words you say.”

The second story, Rosebud, is quite different and more like a fable. It’s drawn as basic cartoons and is the story of a rabbit, Rosebud, who is horrified to read that rabbits are known as nervous, weak, fearful creatures, so he sets about to correct that impression. He fools a whale and an elephant by thinking they are pulling against him, but he ties them to each other with a very very very long rope.

It would appeal to young readers, I’m sure. Short, colourful, amusing.

It’s the third story, The Castle Number Nine, where we see the familiar drawings of the Madeleine stories.

A king decides to rename everything in a funny fashion, but in an emergency, the firemen don’t know what he’s talking about. That one looks familiar and I enjoyed it, silly words and all. I think kids would have fun with the language.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dover Publications for my review copy.

Ludwig Bemelmans Favorite Stories by Ludwig Bemelmans is a collection of three whimsical stories by the author. I guess I wonder why these are three of the author’s favorites. They are very different kinds of stories, being even more different than Madeline.

Hansi is the story of a young city boy’s trip to the countryside. It reads as an account of what he sees and does. I found it interesting somewhat because of the descriptions. One I have never heard before is of a cow “She looked at the children with eyes that were like two fried eyes.” I am not even sure what that means, but think that children would not be bothered by it and may even find it funny.

The second story is an animal fantasy about Rosebud, a rabbit, who teaches a whale, an elephant and maybe us all, “Remember forever that one must never make fun of little people.”

The last is perhaps my favorite, Castle No. 9. It is a silly story of an arrogant count who takes in his mind to change language. Soon he learns that the world does not follow suit. Poor Baptiste my heart went out to him as he humored the count.

I appreciate that these stories no longer in print are available once again in this collection. Adults who loved Ludwig Bemelmans’ work as children will want this book. Children may still enjoy the Madeline stories more.
The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.

Enchanting stories which are sure to delight any child.

This is a fabulous collection of stories.

This is a charming reprint of a vintage children's book, from the author of the rather more well-known 'Madeleine' books. It's a collection of whimsical stories, with a lot of text, and while it has vintage appeal for adult readers, not sure that this would hold the attention of younger readers when compared to modern-day books.

A preview copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a review.

For fans of Madeline, this collection is a must-read. An absolutely charming collection with beautiful illustrations that would have been more enjoyable in print form as opposed to a Kindle format. Still enjoyable though.