5 new MADELINE picture books & board books / September 27, 2024 by steven salerno

-detail of an illustration from ***MADELINE Says Be Kind*** -Miss Clavel, Madeline and the girls heading to school early in the morning -5th in the series of 5 new MADELINE picture books & board books from publisher Viking Press (Penguin/Random House) and illustrated by **Steven Salerno** -in the illustration style of the famed originator of the *Madeline* character, Ludwig Bemelmans. Note: ***MADELINE Says Be Kind*** will be released in Spring 2025.

Back in 2020 I signed the contract with publisher Viking (Penguin Random House) to engage in a very interesting picture book project -to illustrate a series of 5 new mini picture books & board books featuring one of the most well known and beloved characters in all of picture book history, MADELINE. Yes that Madeline! The classic 1939 picture book (and still a best seller today) with the famous opening line: “In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.” (The brave, charming little girl in the yellow hat living in an old Paris boarding school along with eleven other girls, and always under the watchful eye of the towering Miss Clavel.

For these new titles I created all the illustrations in the style of the famed originator of the Madeline character, author/artist Ludwig Bemelmans. All 5 of these new MADELINE titles are written by John Bemelmans Marciano, the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans.

The first four titles in this new MADELINE series have already been completed, published, and released… And the 5th and final title, MADELINE Says Be Kind, was delayed considerably due to the story manuscript not being finalized on schedule, and was not in my hands until Spring 2024. Update: I just recently completed all the final illustrations for this 5th book, and it’s being released by the publisher in Spring 2025.

FYI: For those who don’t know Ludwig Bemelmans (born 1898 - died 1962), he was a well established illustrator/travel writer who had already penned & illustrated a number of picture books for children when in 1939 his little gem of a picture book entitled, MADELINE was first released. It grew into a hit, striking a popular note with both children and adults and over the years became one of the most loved and memorable characters in children’s picture book history. The first Madeline picture book in 1939 was followed by four more Madeline titles before Bemelmans’ death in 1962, then with a sixth title released posthumously.

-detail of an illustration from ***MADELINE Says Be Kind*** -Madeline sharing her cookies in the park -5th in the series of 5 new MADELINE picture books & board books from publisher Viking Press (Penguin/Random House) and illustrated by **Steven Salerno** -in the illustration style of the famed originator of the *Madeline* character, Ludwig Bemelmans. Note: ***MADELINE Says Be Kind*** will be released in Spring 2025.

These MADELINE books were released in the following order:

(1) Love from Madeline -released April 2022

(2) Madeline’s ABCs -released June 2022

(3) Madeline’s 123s -released Nov 2022

(4) Madeline’s SEASONS -released Spring 2023

(5) Madeline Says Be Kind -to be released Spring 2025

-detail of an illustration from ***MADELINE Says Be Kind*** -Madeline visiting an elderly neighbor -5th in the series of 5 new MADELINE picture books & board books from publisher Viking Press (Penguin/Random House) and illustrated by **Steven Salerno** -in the illustration style of the famed originator of the *Madeline* character, Ludwig Bemelmans. Note: ***MADELINE Says Be Kind*** will be released in Spring 2025.

LOVE From Madeline -just received my copies! The first title released in the new MADELINE 5-picture book series from VIKING / June 9, 2022 by steven salerno

**^above:** the new mini-hardcover picture book, **LOVE From Madeline** -written by **John Bemelmans Marciano** & illustrated by **Steven Salerno**, released in January 2022 by VIKING (imprint of Penguin Random House)

**^above:** detail of the Title Page from the new mini-hardcover picture book, **LOVE From Madeline** -written by **John Bemelmans Marciano** & illustrated by **Steven Salerno**, released in January 2022 by VIKING (imprint of Penguin Random House)

One of my recent picture book illustration projects I’ve been working on over the past couple years is the MADELINE series of 5 new picture books published by VIKING (an imprint of Penguin Random House) -featuring one of the most beloved and recognized characters in picture book history, Madeline, created by Ludwig Bemelmans (b.1898 - d.1962) the author and illustrator of the original 5 classic Madeline picture books published from 1939 through 1961. Yes, THAT Madeline! The brave little girl in the yellow hat living in a Paris boarding school along with eleven other young girls, all under the watchful gaze of the towering Miss Clavel.

(see a video on this special MADELINE project on Steven’s YouTube.com channel)

(see more details about this special MADELINE project in my spotlight feature section)

(see examples of some of the completed illustrations from LOVE from Madeline)

Thus far I have competed the final illustrations for the first 4 titles in the 5 book series:

1) Love from Madeline (this book was released in January 2022 and is available now)

2) Madeline’s ABCs (this book will be released April 2022)

3) Madeline’s 123s (this book will be released June 2022)

4) Madeline’s SEASONS (this book will be released November 2022)

5) Madeline’s KINDNESS (still in progress release date Spring 2025)

The author of these 5 new MADELINE titles is John Bemelmans Marciano, the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans.

**^above:** detail of the one of the interior illustration spreads from the new mini-hardcover picture book, **LOVE From Madeline** -written by **John Marciano Bemelmans** & illustrated by **Steven Salerno**, released in January 2022 by VIKING (imprint of Penguin Random House)

And just yesterday I finally received delivery of my copies of LOVE from Madeline -which is the first book produced in the 5 book series, and was released back in January 2022. Apparently because of national supply chain issues it took six months for me to receive these copies!

These 5 new picture books are mini-hardcovers… and are adorable! It was a very challenging project -which required me to emulate the very distinctive illustration style of the famous MADELINE originator, Ludwig Bemelmans… I created all the new illustrations for these picture books entirely digitally, which gave me total flexibility to draw and redraw and redraw the line work defining the characters over and over again, as many times as it took, for me to ensure I was capturing the look and feel of Bemelmans’ style.

My career creating illustrations for many popular picture books, as well as illustrations for editorial and advertising has never been about mimicking another artist’s style. But in the unique instance of this MADELINE project, I felt a kind of obligation to accept it and provide my talents helping to protect the Madeline/Bemelmans brand for future generations.

I hope you add a few of these new MADELINE titles to your picture book collection!