Ludwig Bemelmans

Ludwig Bemelmans is best known as the author and illustrator of the beloved Madeline children's series. He was born in Meran, a city in Austria-Hungary that is now part of Italy. After a rocky youth, he moved to the United States, where he worked in hotels and restaurants to fund his dream of becoming an artist. He got his chance in the 1930s, when he befriended May Massee, the children's book editor at Viking Press. In addition to his children's books, he wrote and illustrated several books for adults, many of which are, like Madeline, homages to his beloved Paris.