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bookgirl4ever's review
4.0
Born Marcel Mangel, the famous Monsieur Marceau was interested in entertaining as a child. His aspirations were postponed with the onset of World War 2, where Marcel was a hero, helping many Jewish children escape France to Switzerland, despite his own Jewish ethnicity (masked by his changing his last name to Marceau). The events of WW2, including the death of his father in a concentration, help him to become a mime, "The people who came back from the camps were never able to talk about it. My name is Mangel. I am Jewish. Perhaps that, unconsciously, contributed towards my choice of silence." Monsieur Marceau went on to entertain people all over the world as a mime until he died in 2007.
Early elementary +.
Early elementary +.
beths0103's review
4.0
Interesting bio on the most famous mime, Marcel Marceau. I had heard his name before and knew that he was a mime, but I didn't know much else. I found his background about his life during World War II quite fascinating.
amydieg's review
4.0
Very well done. Things are presented in a way that is easy for kids to understand.
lbb00ks's review
I learned so much about Monsieur Marceau from this lyrical and beautiful picture book. I honestly had no idea he was so active in the French Resistance, so thoughtful and heart-powerful. The language invites reading and re-reading, and the illustrations are works of art. Bravo!
kellkie's review
4.0
2013 Orbis Pictus award winner by Leda Schubert (illustrated by Gerard Dubois). Also 2014-15 Bluebonnet Book. Beautiful example of kid friendly non-fiction; tells the unexpected story of the world's most famous mime. I had the fortunate opportunity to listen to Schubert tell the story of how she researched the idea for this book and it definitely increased my enjoyment while reading. It's a lovely example of how to tell those little details of a person's life in order to paint a bigger picture of what we thought we knew. The afterword includes a detailed history and tips for kids that want to try miming!
heisereads's review
3.0
A good picture book biography about someone I didn't know much about. I enjoyed and was surprised learning about his life, and the illustrations are great, but the writing didn't totally flow for me.
krismarley's review
4.0
A daughter of a friend of mine has been going through a mime phase. My friend thinks it's creepy, I think it's hysterical! So I shared this book her. It's beautiful!
nerfherder86's review
4.0
Fascinating picture book about the life of the famous French actor who popularized mime. Wonderful vibrant paintings on plain white or black backgrounds, in a palette of browns and blacks that mirror the black-and-white photographs of the early twentieth century history that Marceau lived through. Simple, clear text, with quotation sources noted at the back and a bibliography, plus an afterword that gives some advice to aspiring young mimes from the director of Circus Smirkus (I love that name!), who studied under Marceau.
wordnerd153's review
4.0
Lovely biography with some poignant moments. I had no idea Marceau was involved in the French resistance during WWII. He led a fascinating life.