Maus

In a time when false information prevails and critical race theory is demonized and misunderstood, works like the graphic novel, “Maus” by Art Spiegelman, are a critical learning tool for educators. While the first book in the trilogy was published in 1982, the concept itself debuted in a comic anthology called “Funny Animals.” The brief was to anthropomorphize animals in a story of the contributor’s choice. Spiegelman’s comic includes mice and and cats, but there are no specific mentions of Jews or Nazis, though the metaphor is clear and reinforced at the end with the appearance of “Mauschwitz.”