Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve adored Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeleine series.  Bemelmans’ Paris-set books not only have heartwarming (rhyming!) stories featuring a petite, adventurous little one named Madeline — which was modeled after his daughter — but gorgeous illustrations to boot.  While the original book is totally magical and a great introduction into Bemelman’s fictional realm, my favorite of the series (both story and illustration-wise) has always been Madeline and the Bad Hat, in which Miss Clavel and the girls meet Pepito.  The book carries a lovely batch of drawings by Bemelmans — a good amount of which are in full color, and some are in that classic yellow, black, and white color scheme seen throughout the collection — and features a great message against animal cruelty. Get transported back into your childhood with this 1989-edition of Madeline, and swoon over a few illustrations after the jump.