What is the name of the little girl in the 'Madeline' books?

The little girl in Ludwig Bemelmans’ *Madeline* books is named Madeline. She is the smallest and one of the most adventurous of twelve girls living at a boarding school in Paris.

The first *Madeline* book was published in 1939. Its famous opening introduces an old house in Paris, covered in vines, where the girls live in two straight lines under the care of Miss Clavel. Madeline stands out because she is seven years old, has red hair, and is notably brave and outspoken.

A common mix-up comes from adaptations. The animated series and 1998 live-action film expand the characters and settings, but the title character remains Madeline. The original books also portray the girls as attending a Catholic boarding school, rather than clearly being orphans, another detail sometimes changed or misunderstood in later versions. Bemelmans wrote the original stories, and his grandson John Bemelmans Marciano later continued the series.