Based on author Cary Fagan’s own family history, this graphic novel follows a young Jewish boy, Maurice, and his family’s harrowing journey as they flee their home in Belgium during the Second World War. They travel by train to Paris, through Spain to Portugal, and finally across the ocean to Jamaica, where they settle in an internment camp. All the while, Maurice is intent on continuing his education and growing up to be a lawyer. He overcomes obstacles to find a professor to study with, works toward a high school diploma while in the camp, and is ultimately accepted to university in Canada. His English dictionary becomes a beloved tool and beacon of hope through the danger and turmoil of the family’s migration. Moments of lightness and humor balance the darkness in this powerful story of one refugee family’s courage and resilience, and of the dictionary that came to represent their freedom.
Maurice and His Dictionary
Written by Cary Fagan. Illustrated by Enzo Lord Mariano.
Published in 2020 by Owlkids Books.
Maurice’s dictionary is an inspiring story about a 14-year-old Jewish boy during WW2. Maurice has always wanted to be a lawyer, but the Nazi invasion prevents him from doing so. He and his family flee from place to place throughout Europe until they find a ship that brings them to Jamaica. There, Maurice graduates from high school while learning English from his dictionary and teachers. He finally gets into a university in Canada, all while being guided by a quote by his father- “Solve one problem, then the next, then the next.”
My stance on Maurice’s dictionary is that it is a great, meaningful book and I recommend it. We get to see Maurice’s morals, his determination, and how he solved problem after problem. The other characters are also interesting and witty, although I would have liked it if it went more in-depth with the other characters as well.
The art style is honestly one of my favourite things in this book. The artist uses warm colours throughout the book, but I noticed that there were darker, colder colours in the background during the beginning/middle of the book when things were dire, and in the end, when things were getting better, there were warmer colours in the background. The colour use is great and I enjoyed it. The simple comic layout is also nice.
One of the messages in this book is to keep persevering even if it’s hard to, and to “solve one problem, then the next, then the next.” Maurice’s father said this and Maurice learnt from it and was guided by it on several occasions.
So, overall, this book is great, and I absolutely recommend it for anybody who wants to learn more about WW2 especially. Although it’s short, it carries important messages, is visually appealing, and has good characters. You should definitely read this book.
I enjoy the fact that Maurice and his dictionary was based off of thousands of Jewish families that had to flee their home country and continent to be safe from the Nazi conquest of Europe. I also liked that it highlighted the fact that Maurice and his family fled from Belgium to Vichy France then to Spain and finally to Jamaica. after Maurice and his family had settled down in Jamaica Maurice had to continue his education with a fellow Jewish scholar who offered to teach him Latin so Maurice e could become a lawyer like he dreamed of. I would recommend this book to history nerds like me , and the people who want to learn how the Nazi regime affected the Jewish people.
Maurice And His Dictionary Based On A True Story
I thought this was out of this world. I thought it was spectacular because I usually don’t like books that are either based on a true story or about wwll.
I love the story and the graphics of this book. honestly, I don’t usually like this type of book but I would really recommend it to almost everybody I know.
This was just a fantastic book I would definitely get anyone to read it
ENJOY!!