Madame Martine

August 4, 2014
Who needs to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower when you live in its shadow? That’s the logic adopted by set-in-her-ways Madame Martine, the dour, elderly star of this sweet-natured story about the joys to be found in trying something new. Madame Martine is content to follow her familiar routes through the streets of Paris: “Every morning Madame Martine went to Rue Cler and bought chicken on Monday, scallops on Tuesday, mushrooms on Wednesday, beef on Thursday, and fish on Friday. On Saturdays she fed the birds. On Sundays she stayed home.” But after a friendly stray dog catches her eye during her stroll, all bets may be off. The new pet, now named Max, inserts himself into Madame’s rigid routine and helps her gain a new perspective on her surroundings. Brannen (Uncle Bobby’s Wedding) illustrates her tale of an expanded viewpoint with gently drafted watercolor scenes of vibrant Paris streetscapes that gradually brighten, right along with Madame Martine’s wardrobe—and attitude. Ages 4–7. Agent: Jennifer Starkman, Transatlantic Literary Agency.

September 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-Madame Martine, who lives in Paris, is very set in her ways. She eats specific meals on specific days, and she's quite sure that climbing the Eiffel Tower is a waste of time. But when she adopts a stray dog who scampers up the steps of the landmark, what can she do but follow? After experiencing the allures of a Parisian evening viewed from on high, Madame Martine is amenable to varying her routine a bit in the future. This is a pleasant, if not especially inventive theme for a picture book. Brannen's plump-figured watercolors are also appealing, but she has attempted daring, vertiginous renderings of the headlong dash up the tower that seem a bit beyond her ability to give them authenticity, and the spreads of Paris lack much detail-a lost opportunity that reinforces the blandness of the plot.-Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2014
Adopting a stray dog inspires a routine-bound woman to take a new view of the world. Madame Martine follows a strict schedule: Each day she takes the same walk wearing the same coat, shopping at the same stores. And even though she lives near the Eiffel Tower, she's never climbed it. "Eh. It's a tourist thing," says Martine. One day she discovers a wet, dirty dog in a bush, and after determining he's a stray, she takes him home. She gives him a bath and names him Max, and he promptly falls contentedly asleep on her bed. Then one Saturday, on their routine walk near the tower, a squirrel dashes by, and Max takes chase, pulling the leash from Martine's hand. Max continues running but heads up the stairs of the tower, forcing Martine to hastily buy a ticket to catch him. Vertiginous views of the tower's skeleton emphasize its height. When they reach the second level, Max slips into the elevator, and Martine follows. The doors open at the top to a spectacular two-page spread of Paris at twilight, with Martine and Max in the foreground. After that, Martine and Max resume their daily routines but with a twist: They always try something new on Saturday. The exquisitely rendered watercolor illustrations are full of charm and expression, becoming more colorful and saturated as Martine's heart gets fuller. Enchanting. (Picture book. 4-7)

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October 15, 2014
Preschool-G Madame Martine lives alone in Paris and enjoys the set pattern of her life. Though the Eiffel Tower is near her apartment, she's never climbed it. Eh. It's a tourist thing. But when she finds a lost dog, shares her dinner with him, and names him Max, things begin to change. One day, he bounds up the stairs of the Eiffel Tower. With difficulty, the rather stout, white-haired lady climbs too, finally catching up with her dog in the elevator to the top. Brannen's precise, sensitive line drawings, warmed with watercolor washes in gentle tones, illustrate the story beautifully, beginning with the rounded, solitary figure of Madame Martine and climaxing with two double-page spreads showing the main characters enjoying the view of the light-spangled city from the Eiffel Tower at night. The next pages depict Madame Martine and Max back in the old routine, except that every Saturday they tried something new. The straightforward text reads aloud well, while the artwork defines the characters and settings in a memorable way.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)