Move in with Madeline - What's new? Holiday gifts galore - line of toys for Madeline fans

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Nov, 2002

In "Casablanca," Humphrey Bogart lovingly tells Ingrid Bergman that "There'll always be Paris." For an untold number of little girls, that line might well be a reference to Madeline, the delightful French schoolgirl whose adventures were recounted in a series of books by Ludwig Bemelmans and are running on the Disney Channel. Now, thanks to Learning Curve International, Chicago, young girls can create their own Madeline adventures with her Old House in Paris doll house and accessories.

The big-ticket item is the doll house itself ($99.99), solidly crafted from wood with a plastic roof, and assembling relatively easily. The house has a front door that opens, chiming doorbell, curtains on the windows, decorative wallpaper that matches the books' design, and outside lanterns that light. Also enclosed are enough pieces of furniture--wingback chair, bathroom sink and stool, dining room table and chairs, and a bed--to get playtime started.

Of course, half the fun of a new house is furnishing it, and there are myriad accessories to make the plucky little schoolgirl the envy of Paree. The Bedroom Set comes with an armoire, cheval mirror, and rug; the Living Room Set features a grandfather clock, bookcase, and Oriental rug; the Bathroom Set provides a tub, toilet, and bath mat; and the Kitchen Set has a stove, sink, and refrigerator, each set running $14.99. Moreover, all of the rooms can be accessorized, the bedroom furnished with mattress, bed frame, pillow, and quilt; books, a picture frame, candle, quilt, and checkers game for the living room; towel rack, towel, drinking glass, scrub brush, mirror, toiletries, and even a rubber duckie for the bathroom; and pots and pans, peanut butter and jelly, bread, eggs, bacon, orange juice, spatula, and oven mitt for the kitchen (each kit, $7.99), as well as a kitchenware/dining set ($9.99) ideal for an intimate dinner for two, including a pair of place mats, napkins and napkin rings, glasses, plates, table settings, ladle, and lidded pot.

We wonder if Madeline would be interested in subletting!