Ludwig Bemelmans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ludwig Bemelmans
Born	(1898-04-27)April 27, 1898 Meran, South Tyrol, Austria-Hungary (now Italy)
Died	October 1, 1962(1962-10-01) (aged 64) New York City, United States
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Occupation	Writer, illustrator
Nationality	Austrian
Citizenship	Austria-Hungary United States (from 1918)
Genre	Children's picture books
Notable works	Madeline series (1939–1999)
Notable awards	Caldecott Medal 1954
Spouse	Madeleine Bemelmans
Children	Barbara Bemelmans

Ludwig Bemelmans (born April 27, 1898 – died October 1, 1962) was a famous writer and artist. He was born in Austria and later became an American citizen. He is best known for his popular Madeline picture books. The first Madeline book was published in 1939, and six books in the series came out during his lifetime.

Early Life and Moving to America

Ludwig Bemelmans was born in Meran, which was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. Today, this area is in Italy. His father owned a hotel, and Ludwig grew up near a lake in Austria. He first learned French, then German.

School was hard for Ludwig because he did not like the strict German teaching style. He started working as an apprentice at his uncle's hotel in Austria. Ludwig later shared a story about a difficult time there. He said he was treated badly by a headwaiter. After a problem, he was given a choice: go to a special school for troubled youth or move to the United States. He chose to go to America.

Life in the United States

When Ludwig arrived in the U.S., he worked in hotels and restaurants for several years. In 1917, he joined the U.S. Army. He became an officer and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. He wrote about his time in the Army in a book called My War With the United States. In 1918, he officially became a U.S. citizen.

In the 1920s, Bemelmans wanted to become a full-time artist. He worked at hotels while trying to make a name for himself. In 1926, he left his job at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in New York to focus on drawing cartoons. He even had a cartoon series, but it only lasted six months.

Writing and Art Career

In the early 1930s, Ludwig Bemelmans met May Massee, an editor for children's books at Viking Press. She helped him start publishing his own books. His first children's book, Hansi, came out in 1934.

The Madeline Series

The first Madeline book was published in 1939. It was a big success! Bemelmans did not write another Madeline book until 1953, when Madeline’s Rescue was released. This book even won the Caldecott Medal for its amazing illustrations. He wrote four more Madeline books before he passed away. One more was found and published after his death in 1999.

Each Madeline story begins with a famous line: "In an old house in Paris, that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines... the smallest one was Madeline." The girls are looked after by Miss Clavel. Other characters include Pepito, the Spanish ambassador's son, and Genevieve, a dog who saves Madeline.

Here are the Madeline books:

• Madeline, 1939: Madeline has her appendix removed.
• Madeline's Rescue, 1953: Madeline is saved from drowning by a dog named Genevieve. This book won an award!
• Madeline and the Bad Hat, 1956: Pepito, the Spanish ambassador's son, causes trouble.
• Madeline and the Gypsies, 1959: Madeline and Pepito have an adventure at a circus.
• Madeline in London, 1961: Pepito moves to London, and the girls visit him.
• Madeline's Christmas, 1985: Everyone in the house gets sick except Madeline. (This story was first in a magazine in 1956).
• Madeline in America and Other Holiday Tales, 1999: Madeline gets a lot of money from her American great-grandfather. This book also tells us Madeline's full name: Madeline Fogg.

Other Works and Art

Ludwig Bemelmans also wrote books for adults, including travel stories, funny memoirs, and novels. He even wrote movie scripts. One of his famous artworks is a large painting called Central Park. You can see it on the walls of the Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. He also painted a children's dining room on a famous yacht for Christina Onassis.

Madeline Adaptations

The Madeline stories have been made into movies and TV shows:

• The first book, Madeline, became an animated short film in 1952. It was nominated for an Academy Award.
• From 1988 to 2002, an animated Madeline TV series was made. Christopher Plummer narrated the stories in a rhyming style.
• A live-action Madeline movie came out in 1998. It starred Hatty Jones as Madeline and Frances McDormand as Miss Clavel.

Personal Life

Ludwig Bemelmans met his future wife, Madeleine "Mimi" Freund, through his art connections. They had one daughter, Barbara, and three grandchildren.

Ludwig Bemelmans passed away in New York when he was 64 years old. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Books by Ludwig Bemelmans

See also

In Spanish: Ludwig Bemelmans para niños