The Not So Quiet Life of Marcel Marceau

Written by Jenn Bailey and Sherry Bushue

Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

Allen & Unwin, 2026

Teaching resources

Reviewed by Zewlan Moor 

The Not So Quiet Life of Marcel Marceau is an exquisite picture book full of illustrations painted on wood panels by the Caldecott Honour-winning illustrator, Pamela Zagarenski. 

From the first quotation from Marcel Marceau, before the title page, the author duo of Jenn Bailey and Sherry Bushue highlight his dual roles of “street musician” and “soldier.” He was born Marcel Mangel, on 22 March, 1923, to Jewish immigrants living in Strasbourg, on the border of France and Germany. His mother was Ukrainian and his father was Polish. 

Marcel loved attending the silent movies of Charlie Chaplin, and he received a lot of attention for imitating people, birds and plants. The silence of the films is compared to the “whispers of war.” By September 1939, Germany and France are at war, the Germans have passed anti-Jewish laws and the citizens of Strasbourg have been forced to flee. Marcel is fortunate to be able to continue school, where he “studies art — French soldiers dig trenches. BRUSHSTROKES AND BOMBS.” As Germany invades France, Marcel must finish school. “German soldiers march in behind flags and tanks. Jewish families are forced to march out into boxcars and concentration camps.” 

Marcel uses his artistic talents to great effect in his work within the French Resistance. He forges many identity cards and papers, thus helping to save many Jews and non-Jews from labour camps. A double spread displays his most significant forgery, of a new name for himself: MARCEL MARCEAU. 

Marceau used his skills in acting and mime to teach orphan children housed by the Resistance in Paris. Perhaps his greatest feat was to smuggle those orphans past the soldiers and checkpoints to safety, while disguised as a Scout leader. Finally, in 1945, his ordeal culminated in his first free performance, for three thousand American troops. For the rest of his long life, Marceau worked as a mime, and his character of Bip, wearing a striped black and white shirt and red flower, became iconic. 

The intertwining of silence and performance is summarised in the final sentence of the back matter:

Marcel Marceau gained worldwide fame as a performer and mime, but first he was a son and brother, a refugee, a forger, a Resistance fighter, a soldier and a liberator. AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE KEPT SILENT. 

With a list of other resources and Holocaust at the back, this is a well-written and beautifully illustrated book to inspire reflection on the theme, “Never again”. At the current time, as we witness the Palestinian Genocide, this picture book biography is a welcome entree into exploring the theme of “Never again for anyone.”

Zewlan Moor is the author of Nothing Alike, The Bill Dup and Our World: Philippines. Her next book, Say Hello Like an Armadillo is out in the US/UK in June 2026 and Australia in Summer 2026-7. Pre-order or add it to your Goodreads Want To Read shelf now!