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roseleaf24's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fine. It is primarily a description of life in a hotel in Bruges, Belgium, told through the eyes of two little girls staying there for a prolonged period of time with their father. I think the book had grown too old for the descriptions to fully make sense to modern readers. Lovers of Madeline will appreciate her appearance in the book, but for most readers, the picture books about her would be enough of Bemelmans.
triscuit807's review against another edition
3.0
More than anything else this is a travel guide to Brussels for children told in short, pleasant anecdotes. Two young girls Celeste and Melisande Coggeshall (and their father) stay in a creaky old hotel (The Golden Basket). They explore it and the staff (especially the maitre d' and the cook) over the course of several days before setting off to do the same in the city and on the canals. Bemelmans most famous character, Madeleine, makes her first appearance; he both wrote and illustrated this book. I read it for my 2017 Reading Challenge "read a book set in a hotel' (PopSugar) and for my Newbery challenge (Honor book 1937).
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
5.0
The Golden Basket by Ludwig Bemelmans is a short novel my husband borrowed through inter-library loan. I only had access to the book for one evening, during which I devoured the wonderful story of Celeste and Melisande, two sisters who stay for a few days in an inn in Bruges, Belgium with their father.
Though the plot of this book is ostensibly about the girls' friendships with some of the people they meet at the inn, it is truly a kids' travelogue for Bruges. During their stay, the girls are taken to a carillon and a cathedral and given a ride on a boat. These visits are described in detail, as are more general aspects of their visit, such as their arrival in their room at the inn, and the way the sunrise looks on a Belgian morning. The descriptive writing is very beautiful, and a complete joy to read aloud.
This book also appears to be something of a prequel to Madeline. During an outing, Celeste and Melisande encounter a spirited little schoolgirl named Madeleine, who has trouble minding her teachers and says “Boo-boo-boo" to everything. This character seems to evolve a bit before starring in Madeline, published three years later, but clearly it is the same little girl, with only a few minor changes. The back cover of the book shows young Madeleine leaning out of her classmates' neat line of march in order to run her hand along a stone wall - this illustration could just as easily be a page taken from Madeline itself.
With or without this teaser for the Madeline series, The Golden Basket is an absolutely delightful book. I read a large portion of it aloud to my three-and-a-half-year-old and she was completely drawn into the world of the story. I imagine she would only be more engaged if she were a bit older and had the attention span to sit through the whole thing. I just can't say enough good about this book. If you have the chance to read it, do. There is no way it can disappoint.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Though the plot of this book is ostensibly about the girls' friendships with some of the people they meet at the inn, it is truly a kids' travelogue for Bruges. During their stay, the girls are taken to a carillon and a cathedral and given a ride on a boat. These visits are described in detail, as are more general aspects of their visit, such as their arrival in their room at the inn, and the way the sunrise looks on a Belgian morning. The descriptive writing is very beautiful, and a complete joy to read aloud.
This book also appears to be something of a prequel to Madeline. During an outing, Celeste and Melisande encounter a spirited little schoolgirl named Madeleine, who has trouble minding her teachers and says “Boo-boo-boo" to everything. This character seems to evolve a bit before starring in Madeline, published three years later, but clearly it is the same little girl, with only a few minor changes. The back cover of the book shows young Madeleine leaning out of her classmates' neat line of march in order to run her hand along a stone wall - this illustration could just as easily be a page taken from Madeline itself.
With or without this teaser for the Madeline series, The Golden Basket is an absolutely delightful book. I read a large portion of it aloud to my three-and-a-half-year-old and she was completely drawn into the world of the story. I imagine she would only be more engaged if she were a bit older and had the attention span to sit through the whole thing. I just can't say enough good about this book. If you have the chance to read it, do. There is no way it can disappoint.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
scaifea's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet little story about two little sisters staying with their father in a hotel in Paris and the adventures they have there. Madeline even makes an appearance, which is frosting on the gâteau.
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