Sister Maus Series

Sister Maus is the star of a series of books about a mouse (maus in German) who lives in the 18th century village of Salem, at the Edge of the Wilderness—the historic birthplace of the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Stories and pictures are anchored in the actual history of Salem. Illustrations are based on actual sites, buildings, and artifacts used at the time. In the bottom gallery, a sample of the historical images that inspired the books can be found.  
 

The first book is called Sister Maus. Sister Maus’ further adventures are told in Christmas Maus, Easter Maus, Flowers for Mr. President and Sallie Jane and the Wonderful Stories. To order copies of the books from Old Salem Museums and Gardens click here.  

The pictures in the Sister Maus series are all based on the study of historical materials from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries—the time when the stories are supposed to take place. Actual locations in Sisters House and other buildings, and actual objects were used to make the artwork more authentic.
 

The captioned photographs, photo collages and drawing in the historical gallery give examples of how this worked. For additional information about the books and their creation, please see the author’s notes at the end of each volume.