Friday, January 14, 2000

Ooh la la!

For anyone who has read the Madeline books and enjoyed them, this show is terrific. Each episode has the same feel to it as the books did, and the simpler animation style only adds to the beauty of the stories. Madeline is a free thinker. She always has a slightly different way of seeing things than the other eleven little girls who live with her under the watchful eye of Miss Clavel.

Each of the adventures that the girls get into is an enlightening experience for children watching the show. They are exposed to all sorts of different places from zoos to dude ranches, and they share in the wonder of the little girls as they experience each for the first time. Most of the show is set against a Parisian background, and children inadvertently learn a bit about French landmarks and history and pick up a smattering of French vocabulary.

The show is geared towards girls, as evidenced by the fact the the fourteen main characters (Miss Clavel, her twelve students, and Genevieve the dog) are female. But there are some male characters as well, and the exploits of the girls are interesting enough to hold a boy's attention for at least a few minutes. It's a simple mix of culture and adventure that makes it a great show for all concerned.


No comments:

Post a Comment