A Family Story

If you are familiar with Cary Fagan’s work you will know he has a certain magical quality. Many of his stories take place long ago when times were seemingly simpler and he generously shares many of his life experiences through his work.

Maurice and His Dictionary is a family story, the story of Cary’s father Maurice and the journey he took many years ago during World War II and the hardships the family endured as a result of being a Jewish family living in Brussels. There is a breadth of work available to young readers of novels, some non fiction, some historical fiction, to tell of the atrocities of the war: the tragedies and triumphs. What sets Maurice and His Dictionary apart is the choice to publish as a graphic novel. Illustrated by Enzo Lord Mariano, it is a graphic novel all about Maurice, a young Jewish boy and his family and how they made their way out of Europe and how Maurice achieved his ultimate dream of going to university and becoming a lawyer. There is humour peppered throughout this story, easing some of the weight of the topic. I especially love the back section containing pictures of Maurice, his family and the dictionary that he carried those many kilometres.

It’s refreshing that OwlKids chose to publish this story as a graphic novel making the story so much more accessible to a greater number of readers. Plus the story really lends itself to a non-traditional form. I think if the story had been published as a traditional novel it would miss a lot of the charm and excitement. Huge shout out to Claudia Davila for her extraordinary design choices in making this book come to life. Cary Fagan is a brilliant storyteller and his words have the ability to transport the reader and this book is no exception. It will appeal to middle grade readers with a thirst for history and knowledge of the past.