Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

October 3, 2011
Like the popular Internet video it’s based on, this picture book stars a pink-shod, one-eyed snail shell who is happy to discuss his habits, preferences, and inner life, while revealing a life that’s both miniature and writ large. Slate, an actress, and Fleischer-Camp, a director, wisely expand Marcel’s world beyond the three-and-half minutes of their video, though they hang onto some of its most beloved lines. The artwork trades the jerky animation of the original for Lind’s thick, luminous oil paintings, which provide a fittingly off-kilter realism; when readers first get a (very) close-up view of Marcel through a magnifying glass, his mouth agape and single goggle-eye gleaming, it’s clear that this is not your average protagonist. In deadpan narration, Marcel shows readers his home (“This is my Breadroom. It’s a Bedroom. But I sleep in a piece of bread”) and nearby attractions like the aquarium (a goldfish bowl) and a toy-filled amusement park. True, you don’t get to hear Marcel’s singular squeaky/scratchy voice, but the hip, young parents buying (and perhaps most excited about) this adaptation will be itching to try out their impressions. Ages 5–up.