Kirkus calls THE NOT SO QUIET LIFE OF MARCEL MARCEAU by Jenn Bailey and Sherry Bushue “An engrossing window into a lesser-known side of a gifted performer—and wartime hero” in starred review

★ THE NOT SO QUIET LIFE OF MARCEL MARCEAU
By Jenn Bailey and Sherry Bushue
Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
Publisher: Levine Querido
Pages: 48
Publication Date: April 7, 2026

“A glimpse into the challenging childhood and adolescence of the famous French mime.

Marcel Marceau was born Marcel Mangel in Strasbourg, France, in 1923; his parents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, and his father worked as a kosher butcher. The boy was especially fond of Charlie Chaplin’s silent movies and took to imitating his idol, as well as “birds, people, plants, and even the wind.” As antisemitism spread throughout Europe and a second world war seemed likely to break out, the Mangels fled their home on the German border for Limoges; Marcel briefly studied art and then joined his older brother in the French Resistance, applying his skills to forge identity cards and save lives—including his own. Bailey and Bushue’s succinct, well-crafted text presents just enough context without overwhelming the intended audience, while Zagarenski’s spellbinding art offers layered scenes to linger over. Her Chagall-like paintings on wood portray details referenced in the narrative, as well as numerous symbolic images (the star of David, lions, butterflies). The scene where Marcel transforms into “Marceau” is accompanied by a Cubist portrait depicting the subject as half youth, half sad clown. Through her palette, Zagarenski balances scenes of warmth and courage with moments of darkness. Readers will be fascinated at how Marcel employed pantomime to shepherd Parisian orphans 350 miles to safety and charmed the guards in their way—seemingly foreshadowing his future.

An engrossing window into a lesser-known side of a gifted performer—and wartime hero. (author’s note, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)”

—Kirkus Reviews