Monsieur Marceau (review)

If young readers missed the opportunity to meet world-renowned mime Marcel Marceau in Gloria Spielman’s picture-book biography (Marcel Marceau, BCCB 10/11), here is a second chance. The white face of Marceau’s signature character Bip peeks coyly from the folds of a red velvet stage curtain: “Look at this man. He climbs imaginary stairs. He bows to an invisible person. . . . He does not speak.” A page turn reveals Bip, whiteface nearly indistinguishable from the pure white background, holding a shushing finger against his crimson lips: “He uses his whole body onstage . . . but never his voice. His body talks for him.” Having established the essence of mime, Schubert segues into a child-accessible account of the years before Marceau’s stage career, when he was Marcel Mangel, a French Jew active in the Resistance during World War II. Although DuBois conveys the strictly biographical aspects of Marceau’s story, particularly his experiences throughout the war, in soberly hued scenes replete with period detail, he pares away all background when he focuses on Marceau’s craft, allowing viewers to appreciate the mime’s superbly controlled poses without distraction. Oversized font and rhythmic, present tense descriptions of Bip’s performances invite newly independent readers to enter the text confidently: “Sometimes he is one person on stage—and sometimes many. Sometimes there is music, sometimes not. He never loses the crowd’s attention.” An afterword provides additional information about Marceau’s wartime activity, Bip’s creation, and even a few tips for children who want to try their hand (actually, their whole body) at mime; source and quotation notes are also included.