Madeline is one of 12 girls who live in a Parisian boarding school. Although she is the smallest of the girls, she is the bravest. Nothing frightens this red-haired girl—she's not afraid of mice, or even a tiger in the zoo.

But Madeline must face her biggest challenge yet when she wakes up in pain one night and is rushed to the hospital with a burst appendix. When the other girls come to visit and find Madeline's room filled with toys, candy, and a dollhouse, they want to have their appendix removed too!

The snappy rhyming text combines with charming, Caldecott Honor-winning artwork to create a captivating adventure that is made to be shared again and again.