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William Pène du Bois (1916 to 1993) was an American writer and illustrator of books for young readers. He was born in America but moved to France with his family when he was eight years old, returning to America when he turned 14. The influence of this stay in France can be seen in many of his books, which either have a French “feel” to them or are actually set in France. He almost went to college but successfully published a book, so he decided to pursue writing and illustration on his own. Du Bois honorably served in the US Army during World War II and then went on to become a very successful author and illustrator. All of his books were illustrated by him – their whimsical pictures add greatly to the charm of his stories. He also illustrated the books of many other famous writers. William Pene du Bois fills his books with his creative ingenuity and delightful imagination, which are both a little different from the rest of us. By this I mean that his ideas are not what you and I might make up in an inventive moment or two – du Bois truly comes up with plots and characters that are unusual yet totally satisfying.
The two books reviewed below, The Three Policemen and The Great Geppy, are both written at the upper elementary to middle school reading level.
The Three Policemen, published in 1938, is another one of du Bois’ stories full of his slightly different creativity, ingenuity, and beautiful illustrations. In some ways, the story has some similarities to The Twenty Balloons (see my review): an unknown island, happy, prosperous inhabitants, and some unusual customs. Farbe Island is a secret island in the Atlantic Ocean, discovered by French fishermen in 1795. It is fertile, well-watered, and the ocean around it is full of fish. The Farbons sell the fish around the world and are quite well-off. There are three policemen – Joseph, Peter, and Paul, who have nothing to do since there is no crime on the island. Young Bottsford, a 10-year-old boy who was rescued from a sinking ship, lives on the island and serves the three policemen. There is no crime on this peaceful island, until one day, the fishermen’s nets, which are set up all around the island overnight to catch fish, are stolen! The clever and slightly zany way that this crime is investigated and solved by the three policemen, who are gently led by Bottsford, a very intelligent boy, is quite funny, with the addition of some gentle satire.
The Great Geppy, published in 1940, is a winning combination of the detective mystery, circus story, and talking horse genres. Du Bois again comes up with perhaps one of his most innovative stories filled with his remarkable color and gray-scale illustrations. Someone has been stealing the ticket money every night from the Bott Three-Ring Circus safe. The famous detective agency, Armstrong and Trilby, is asked for an undercover detective who will blend in with the circus performers and investigate and find the culprit. The only candidate who can do the job is a horse named Geppy, an affectionate form of his full name, Susagep, which is Pegasus (the famous winged horse from Greek mythology) spelled backwards! Not only does Geppy have a striking appearance - vertical red stripes on a white coat, he also speaks English well and is a good writer. Geppy’s adventures in the circus, including trapeze artist training, freak-show performance, and being shot out of a cannon, along with his interaction with three clowns who speak only French, combine to make a rollicking, humorous story with an unexpected ending.