Madeline is back! Sixty years after her first appearance in a book by Ludwig Bemelmans, our irrepressible French orphan returns. The author and illustrator is grandson of the originator. John Bemelmans Marciano’s Madeline and the Cats of Rome (Penguin) is a delight.

Miss Clavel, the nun in charge of the twelve girls, takes them away from rainy Paris to sunny Rome.

From an old house in Paris that was covered with vines. Left twelve little girls in two straight lines. Their bags were packed, a camera stowed; They were ready to escape the cold.

Marciano’s rhymes and colorful illustrations take us on a tour with the little girls. Pasta, the Spanish Steps and the Sistine Chapel are important stops. The adventure comes when Miss Clavel’s camera is stolen by what appears to be a young street urchin. Madeline takes off after the girl and finds herself in an abandoned house in the poorest section of town. Inside are dozens of cats – and the street urchin.

A trip to the police station for both girls leads to two reunions. Miss Clavel and her charges rush in to greet Madeline. The parents of the not-so-street-urchin are thrilled to have their little girl back after a night away. And the cats? Madeline, along with everyone else, rescues the furry bundles from the abandoned building and finds new owners for them. (Ages 2 to adult)

Madeline is not our only familiar character in a new version. Dave Horowitz brings us a hilarious picture book, Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again (G.P. Putnam’s Sons.)

When Humpty Dumpty falls, the king’s horses and men cannot put him together. Finally someone calls a doctor.

“Mister Dumpty,” said the Doctor, “you really must be more careful. I mean – for Pete’s sake – you’re an egg!”

Humpty Dumpty becomes a couch potato. Friends try to coax him into activity.

“Listen, Humpty Dumpty…,” said the Dish. “This is getting ridiculous. You used to be such a brave egg – everybody looked up to you. Now you just sit around watching TV?

”Whatever,” said Humpty Dumpty. “After that great fall I had, climbing rocks just seems stupid. I mean what’s the point?”

“If you say so,” said the Dish. And the Dish ran away with the Spoon. But one day, our egg becomes a hero by climbing up a steep wall to rescue one of the king’s horses. This time, he uses safety equipment! (Ages 3 to 7)

Does your little one have a favorite blanket or stuffed animal? Nancy Cote’s rhyming picture book, Jackson’s Blanket (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) is just for you.

Jackson loves his blanket, all fuzzy, soft and worn. He’s had that little blanket since the day that he was born.

Jackson takes it everywhere. He uses it as a tent, wears it as a cape and rolls himself up in it when he has a nightmare. As he gets older, Jackson’s parents suggest it is time to put the blanket away. Jackson says he’ll do it—when he is ready.

One cold, snowy day, Jackson finds a kitten sitting in the snow. He brings her home wrapped in a blanket. He bathes her and feeds her.

Then, with his fuzzy blanket, Jackson made a little bed. She snuggled in the blanket and licked her dampened fur. She looked back up at Jackson and gave a tiny purr.

“You are welcome, little kitten, now close your eyes and sleep. You are just a baby; this old blanket’s yours to keep.” (Ages 3 to 6)

Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner’s newest title, The Queen of Style, (Dial Books) is an amusing picture book about an unskilled and bored queen. When Queen Sophie discovers an advertisement for a mail-order beauty school, she sends away for the course.

For once, Sophie is happy and busy, as she has her subjects come to the castle day after day to practice. Sophie plucks, cuts, dyes, waxes, waves and conditions. Entertaining illustrations abound.

When Sophie’s subjects object to leaving their homes and jobs so that Sophie can ful-fill her practice hours, she apologizes.

“From this time forth,” Queen Sophie proclaimed, “just come to the castle when you want to. I promise that from now on, I will do your bidding.” And she did. (Ages 4 to 7)

David Ezra Stein’s The Nice Book (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) is well named. This is a gentle picture book about the pleasures of being pleasant. A wild boar sits down to indulge in a huge plate of ice cream. On the next page, the boar happily shares with a mouse. If you have more than you need, share.

Two owls face each other, wide-eyed with staring. Look.

The next page shows the gaze between a bird and a frog. …but don’t stare.

There is even philosophical content. Two mice, one bigger than the other, walk hand in hand to the caption: Look after someone little.

In the next scene, they eye a large cat just around the corner. We’re all little. (Ages 3 to 6)

Lisa welcomes your comments about these books or any other children’s books you enjoy. Her e-mail is booklustr@aol.com.

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