Author.  “Hansi”, the first of Bemelmans’ fifteen books for children, beguiled most reviewers with its simple watercolor illustrations and nostalgic story of two children and their dog in the Austrian Tyrol. His greatest success, however, was “Madeline”, a rhymed picture book about a Parisian schoolgirl who becomes the envy of her classmates when her appendix is removed. Indeed, the “Madeline” books, of which there were five, remain the work that Ludwig Bemelmans is primarily remembered for. The inspired amateurishness of the illustrations and the sophisticated doggerel verses have been an influence on later juvenile literature. “Madeline’s Rescue”, the second book in the series, was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1953. (bio by: Ron Williams)