Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 08/01/2012 Gr 1–3—It is fitting that this superb picture-book biography is short on words and long on visuals. The spare text marvelously captures the essence of the artist, depicting a man whose choice to be silent was born of an awareness of the damages of war. Born in 1923 to a musical family who lived near the French/German border, Marceau idolized Charlie Chaplin and began emulating him at a young age. When World War II broke out, residents of Strasbourg were forced to leave their homes, and later Marceau joined the French Resistance. After the war, he changed his original surname, Mangel, to Marceau "so that people wouldn't know he was Jewish." Marceau studied mime and created the character Bip, whose smashed stovepipe hat, white makeup, red carnation, and sad eyes became known the world over. The stunning oil pastel paintings are as somber, joyful, and expressive as the man himself; they depict him fighting a bull, chasing butterflies, or crumbling in sadness. Covering much the same ground as Gloria Spielman's Marcel Marceau (Lerner, 2011) but in a more compelling manner, this exquisite book has an informative afterword and a page on the art of miming. A noteworthy choice for all collections.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/15/2012 *Starred Review* This handsome picture book tells the story of Marcel Marceau, the maestro of mime. Born in France, he was 16 when WWII broke out and shifted his life. He changed his last name to hide his Jewish identity and worked with the French underground. After the war, he studied mime and created his signature character, Bip. Quotes from Marceau connect the silence of those who returned from concentration camps (where his father had died) with his own choice of silence on stage. Schubert distills his complex life story into a short, pithy text that reads aloud well. While she discusses his art and his worldwide fame, a series of images bring Marceau’s movements and emotions to life on the page. Well thought out and varied in composition, DuBois’ paintings illustrate the text literally while expanding it visually and emotionally, particularly in the haunting sequence of narrative scenes during the war. An afterword offers a somewhat more detailed account of Marceau’s life and suggests activities for children who would like to try mime. Even readers with an unfavorable view of mime as a medium will find plenty to admire in this picture-book biography of the man behind the whiteface makeup. - Copyright 2012 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 12/01/2012 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. EB - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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