Best of Madeline - Madeline at the Ballet/Madeline in New York (1993)

"Madeline at the Ballet"
In "Madeline at the Ballet," ballet master Valmont recruits the little French girls to perform with prima ballerina Tatiana in a production of The Happy Swan--except for poor Madeline, who is airily dismissed by him as "too small." (It doesn't help that she isn't as graceful as the other girls.) Madeline is devastated. Fortunately, an influential friend convinces Valmont to give her another chance. The rehearsals don't go off without a hitch, but with patience and persistence--and a little encouragement--Madeline triumphs in the end. Throughout, Miss Clavel's support for her littlest charge never falters. The rambunctious Pepito, however, teases all of the girls for hopping about like "frogs." He changes his tune when Valmont taps him to be in the show. He quickly discovers that ballet isn't as easy as it looks. Actor Christopher Plummer narrates the 25-minute program in author Ludwig Bemelmans's trademark rhyming couplets.
"Madeline in New York"
Velvet-voiced Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music) narrates this whimsical account of Madeline's first trip to New York. After Madeline, her schoolmates, pal Pepito, and chaperone Miss Clavel have seen the sites, including the Empire State Building, they take in a baseball game. The adventure really begins when Madeline catches the first home run ball of the season and wins a bridge--the Brooklyn Bridge--from Mr. Moneybags. Owning and operating a major metropolitan bridge turns out to be a formidable task--even for a plucky girl like Madeline. Fortunately, the city's kindly mayor comes to her aid. Along the way, she serves as the bat girl for the Yankees, introduces French fries to America, gets to enjoy her own ticker-tape parade, and even has a street--Madison Avenue--named after her. She will experience further New York adventures in "Madeline's Halloween Spooktacular." --Kathleen C. Fennessy Amazon.com

Madeline is a favorite

I bought this DVD for my 2 year old daughter when she started showing interest in ballet. She loves the ballet show and tries to do some of the dancing that Madeline does. The other show included where Madeline goes to New York is good but not her favorite. We really enjoy Madeline and the rhyming narration is very sweet. This is a really good one for little girls and their mothers! November 3, 2007

Madeline is a Hit

I purchased this video for my [...] granddaughter who loves Madeline. This video didn't disappoint in any way. We've watched it several times already. It's one of the few times she's actually quiet! April 17, 2007

Best of the Best

The Madeline stories have always been wonderful and these videos stay true to the theme. My four year old is entranced. She has always loved the books, and now it's great for her to see her favorite pal. The stories are innocent and devoid of any hints and innuendos. These are something you can leave the room while your child is watching, and not have to put them on pause for fear of what surprises may show up. The stories are enchanting enough to be fun for grown-ups too. August 5, 2002

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