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Fast Facts

1. 1989 was the 50th anniversary of the Madeline series.



2. Ludwig Bemelmans wrote the first lines of MADELINE on the back of a menu in a bar called Pete's Tavern in New York City.



3. Bemelmens first came up with the story while lying in a hospital bed after his bicycle was hit by a car. He saw a nun bringing soup to a little girl whose appendix had been taken out and Madeline was born in his mind.



4. Madeline books have sold more than ten million copies worldwide.



5. John Bemelmans Marciano, Ludwig Bemelmans grandson, discovered the sketches, stories and notes that became MADELINE IN AMERICA. He has also written a new biography about his grandfather.