Mimi

by Lisl Weil

Mimi wishes she could be a police officer like her uncles, but when she tries, it does not work out; later, though, she saves the party with what she does know how to do--cook.

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Lisl Weil was a children’s author and illustrator, most remembered for her ink and felt pen drawings. She was born in Vienna, Austria in 1910, and it was during her Austrian childhood that Weil gained her first interest in the arts, particularly in music and the visual arts. It was an interest that became a life long passion and pursuit. While living in Europe, Weil worked as an illustrator for various European periodicals; after immigrating to the United States in 1939, Weil became a U.S. citizen, married Julius Marx, and began writing and illustrating children’s books, an occupation that she continued for 37 years. Lisl Weil illustrated over 100 books, many of which she wrote. She also pursued her love for music, channeling her energy into a musical venture for children. She involved herself in performance art and created life-size drawings that were choreographed to move rhythmically to a musical score. She called this “a real picture ballet” and the ballets were performed for children at concert halls around the U.S. Weil was also involved in the television and film industries; one of her children’s stories was made into a movie and she had a weekly television show for children during 1963-1964. Weil passed away in February 2006.

Reviews

[Littlegrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the illustation and the story is interesting.But it makes me feel kind of gender stereotype.

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny one.. by today's standards, this could be a shameless reinforcement of negative gender stereotypes.

But I challenge you to open your mind a little. If you mentally replace the protagonist with a little boy, this story would be completely acceptable by today's standards. If it were not her Policemen Uncles that Mimi looked up to, but her Police Officer Aunts, no one would have a problem with this story.

Indeed, the next generation (toddlers of today), probably won't see anything at all wrong with this story. They don't have a chip on their shoulders, they have no concept of gender stereotypes yet, and so this is a completely valid and poignant story of a child realizing their limitations and their abilities as such. An individual kid learning about their own unique skill-set and (current) limitations as well as privileges.

I will also say, that as a European resident, French girls and French stereotypes are much, much deeper entreched than say in North America. I know many French females who would simply snort and point out that of course North American women would find fault in this story and miss the subtext - girls get to wear pretty dresses and eat at restaurants. Better that than being a Policeman, chasing criminals around the docks of Marseilles, n'est-ce pas? In favour of their argument - there's nothing wrong with being feminine and beautiful and pretty, or in being a good cook. (You will notice that the Chef who is sick and the maître d' are both helpless men - a little girl to the rescue! And she can cook as well as a (male) Chef! And if you want to look at gender stereotypes, see how many top flight female Chefs there are in France of Europe...!).

So when I remove my filtered lenses and examine this with innocent eyes (like those of my audience), this is a wonderful little story! :) We read many diverse books, from all eras and decades, and with a varied literary diet, there are no negative lessons learned here. It's a book about Mimi, an individual, une fille, who lives in Marseilles.

If all the books we read suggested that little girls are incapable and inept and unable to become Police officers, well, maybe I'd be concerned. But as I said, a rich and varied reading diet prevents all deficiencies or over-dose toxicities. Read widely, and then enjoy this for what it is - a sweet little vintage picture book about a girl in Marseilles who wants to be a Police Officer like her uncles, but instead realises that, at the moment, she has other talents and privileges.

Who knows - Mimi probaby grew up to be a femme policier, and could still cook the best Bouillabaisse in town. ;)

(Also, if you're doing your job, you'd be asking the audience what they thought about the story, anyway, and having a follow-up (or midstream) discussion. "If Mimi had been a boy instead of a girl, would it have made a difference? Would a boy of her age be any stronger or more capable? No? What do you think?") ;)

We all need to worry less and simply read more. ;)