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Miep and the Most Famous Diary: The Woman Who Rescued Anne Frank's Diary
Winner - Best of 2019 Kids Books - Most Inspiring Category The story of Anne Frank and her diary is one of the world's most important and well-known, but less is known about the woman who sheltered Anne and her family for years and, ultimately, rescued Anne's diary from Nazi clutches. Miep Gies was a woman who rose to bravery when humanity needed it and risked everything for her neighbors. It is because of Miep we know Anne Frank--and now, this is Miep's story.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
September 14, 2021
Miep and the Most Famous Diary: The Woman Who Rescued Anne Frank's Diary is a children's picture book written by Meeg Pincus and illustrated by Jordi Solano. When the Nazis came for Anne Frank’s family and the other Jewish friends who had been hidden in the secret annex, Anne left behind the diary that would be read and cherished around the world.
Hermine "Miep" Gies (née Santrouschitz) was one of the Dutch citizens who hid Anne Frank, her family (Otto Frank, Margot Frank, Edith Frank-Holländer) and four other Dutch Jews (Fritz Pfeffer, Hermann van Pels, Auguste van Pels, Peter van Pels) from the Nazis in an annex above Otto Frank's business premises during World War II.
Pincus' text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Pincus narrates the terrible facts accurately, not understating them but not allowing the horrors to overwhelm the intensely heroic accomplishment of this kind, courageous woman, employing quotes from Miep's own writing. Backmatter includes an author’s note, biographical note, and timeline. Solano's full- and double-page spreads are done in shades of brown and sepia that perfectly capture the somber mood.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It was Miep Gies, with help from her husband and a few others, who hid and cared for eight Jewish individuals for two years, all risking their own lives. Anne wrote in her diary constantly, chronicling her loneliness and fears as well as the events and relationships she observed. Miep knew the Nazis would be back to steal the belongings, but she knew she could not let them find that diary and she locked it away to await Anne's return.
However, Otto Frank was the only one who survived. Anne’s mother died of starvation, and Anne and her sister both died of typhus. Miep gave Otto the diary but never read it until long after it had been published. Anne wanted to be a writer, to be remembered, and her beloved diary achieved that for her.
All in all, Miep and the Most Famous Diary: The Woman Who Rescued Anne Frank's Diary is a beautifully realized homage to a woman who had the forethought to save a little girl’s diary from being taken by the Nazis.
Hermine "Miep" Gies (née Santrouschitz) was one of the Dutch citizens who hid Anne Frank, her family (Otto Frank, Margot Frank, Edith Frank-Holländer) and four other Dutch Jews (Fritz Pfeffer, Hermann van Pels, Auguste van Pels, Peter van Pels) from the Nazis in an annex above Otto Frank's business premises during World War II.
Pincus' text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Pincus narrates the terrible facts accurately, not understating them but not allowing the horrors to overwhelm the intensely heroic accomplishment of this kind, courageous woman, employing quotes from Miep's own writing. Backmatter includes an author’s note, biographical note, and timeline. Solano's full- and double-page spreads are done in shades of brown and sepia that perfectly capture the somber mood.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It was Miep Gies, with help from her husband and a few others, who hid and cared for eight Jewish individuals for two years, all risking their own lives. Anne wrote in her diary constantly, chronicling her loneliness and fears as well as the events and relationships she observed. Miep knew the Nazis would be back to steal the belongings, but she knew she could not let them find that diary and she locked it away to await Anne's return.
However, Otto Frank was the only one who survived. Anne’s mother died of starvation, and Anne and her sister both died of typhus. Miep gave Otto the diary but never read it until long after it had been published. Anne wanted to be a writer, to be remembered, and her beloved diary achieved that for her.
All in all, Miep and the Most Famous Diary: The Woman Who Rescued Anne Frank's Diary is a beautifully realized homage to a woman who had the forethought to save a little girl’s diary from being taken by the Nazis.
September 22, 2019
I’ve read “Anne Frank Remembered” by Miep Gies twice. This book is an illustrated children’s book honoring Miep’s work. I plan to re-read Miep’s book as well as this one again.
September 4, 2019
Let me start by saying that I'm giving this picture book only three stars not for lack of enjoyment, but because I feel like it's a story that we're all familiar with and Pincus didn't add anything new to the narrative. Most individuals are well-aware of the amazing role Miep played in preserving Anne Frank's story and I was expecting to read this picture book and learn more about; however, what I found was the same information that has been told countless times. I think that the artwork added a new dynamic; however, the story itself fell flat me. Had Pincus given the reader new information or access to something that wasn't as familiar, I think I would have rated it higher. I did, however, fully enjoy the artwork. The use of color definitely made the characters feel as though they came from a different time in history (which of course they did).
February 6, 2022
Anne Frank's story is one of the inspiration and tragedy during a dark time in human history. This book is not just another tale of Anne's story, but also of Miep Gies, one of the helpers who supported their cause during WWII. Told in the perspective of Miep, we start off where the eight in hiding are arrested and taken away, defying the officer's orders, Miep sneaks up to the attic and manages to retrieve Anne's diary, papers, and her shawl. She kept them hidden in her drawer as other possessions are stripped away by the officers, vowing to keep it there until Anne returns. Through the long end of the war, she waited for her friends to return, but only Otto Frank came back. Giving him his daughter's diary, Miep eventually realizes that while Anne is no longer alive, her legacy would live on for new generations to come.
Pincus captured the tension and drive Miep had during the time she served as an employee to Mr. Frank and as a helper to the eight in hiding. There are brief mentions of other activities Miep did while waiting such as surviving through starvation and attempting to bribe the police to release them. The illustrations are beautiful, despite the more earthly color palette. There is also a lot more text in this book, surprisingly, but it works in conveying the significance of the events and what Miep did. Additionally, it helps with onomatopoeia as during their captivity, any sound upstairs could give away their hiding place. Though Miep didn't view herself as a hero, her courage to stand up against tyranny and help those in need, is an inspiration that any ordinary person can do incredible actions.
Pincus captured the tension and drive Miep had during the time she served as an employee to Mr. Frank and as a helper to the eight in hiding. There are brief mentions of other activities Miep did while waiting such as surviving through starvation and attempting to bribe the police to release them. The illustrations are beautiful, despite the more earthly color palette. There is also a lot more text in this book, surprisingly, but it works in conveying the significance of the events and what Miep did. Additionally, it helps with onomatopoeia as during their captivity, any sound upstairs could give away their hiding place. Though Miep didn't view herself as a hero, her courage to stand up against tyranny and help those in need, is an inspiration that any ordinary person can do incredible actions.
January 1, 2020
First sentence: Footsteps on the secret back stairs. The worst sound Miep Gies has ever heard.
Premise/plot: This one is a picture book biography of Miep Gies, one of the young women who helped hide the Frank family (and the others in the secret annex) during the Second World War. She didn’t work alone, but she is responsible for rescuing the diary of Anne Frank after the families were discovered and captured. She kept the diary safe until it could be returned. Sadly, the father was the only one to survive. Miep returned the diary to him; it was published in the late 1940s.
My thoughts: I definitely feel that stories like this one need to be told and heard. All voices matter. Despite the picture book format, it is definitely for older readers—upper elementary students. The amount of text per page not to mention the subject matter makes this better suited for an older audience.
I am not sure which book I would recommend to introduce the subject of the Holocaust to children. This one or a picture book biography of Anne Frank might be a good choice. Then again, I love Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars.
Do you have a favorite book on the Holocaust? I think my introduction was The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.
Premise/plot: This one is a picture book biography of Miep Gies, one of the young women who helped hide the Frank family (and the others in the secret annex) during the Second World War. She didn’t work alone, but she is responsible for rescuing the diary of Anne Frank after the families were discovered and captured. She kept the diary safe until it could be returned. Sadly, the father was the only one to survive. Miep returned the diary to him; it was published in the late 1940s.
My thoughts: I definitely feel that stories like this one need to be told and heard. All voices matter. Despite the picture book format, it is definitely for older readers—upper elementary students. The amount of text per page not to mention the subject matter makes this better suited for an older audience.
I am not sure which book I would recommend to introduce the subject of the Holocaust to children. This one or a picture book biography of Anne Frank might be a good choice. Then again, I love Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars.
Do you have a favorite book on the Holocaust? I think my introduction was The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.
June 3, 2023
What a marvelous story! How amazing it is that Miep did not want to be considered a hero, because she simply did what she should have done! How amazing it is that she welcomed her boss to live with them for 7 years! Note that the math says he stayed with them until their son was around two years old! I found the writing pretty much pitch perfect. The faces are a bit wooden but the hands are so well done! I am confounded this did not win the Sydney Taylor award! Definitely recommended! I’m considering buying for my grandchildren.
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January 18, 2020Miep Gies risked her life hiding away friends including Anne Frank and her family until the Nazi officers found them and put them to cruel camps. She saved Anne's diary unti Anne's father survived the war and had it published. The world would be wonderful if more people could behave like a human and help others in need and danger.
December 19, 2019
This picture book biography tells the story of Miep Gies, a close family friend of the Franks who helped them hide and was one of their only connections to the outside world. After the Nazis discovered the Franks and the others who were in hiding with them, Miep saved Anne's diary from destruction, hiding it in a drawer in the office downstairs. She also unsuccessfully pleaded with a Nazi from her hometown to release the Franks and the others.
This book draws from Miep's memoirs, which I have read, and I appreciate its exploration of how she valued common human acts of courage. Miep hid Anne's written work until the end of the war, when her father came back and reclaimed it, and the book grapples with the intense emotion that both she and Otto Frank felt as they searched for indications that the others had survived. They eventually discovered that he was the only one of their group who had survived the concentration camps, and the book portrays the story with grave seriousness, nuance, and intense emotion.
However, even though this book successfully portrays a little-known part of Anne Frank's story, I am docking the book a star for reinforcing the common misconception that Anne Frank wrote primarily in her red checkered diary. The illustrations and text emphasize the famous artifact that Miep saved, but the volume of work that Anne produced over her two years in hiding required multiple exercise books, not just a small diary and loose papers. Anne even revised her original diary in another notebook, rewriting her original entries with an eye towards eventual publication, but even though this book mentions Anne's goal, it further mythologizes the red checkered diary without portraying the true volume and extent of her writing.
This book draws from Miep's memoirs, which I have read, and I appreciate its exploration of how she valued common human acts of courage. Miep hid Anne's written work until the end of the war, when her father came back and reclaimed it, and the book grapples with the intense emotion that both she and Otto Frank felt as they searched for indications that the others had survived. They eventually discovered that he was the only one of their group who had survived the concentration camps, and the book portrays the story with grave seriousness, nuance, and intense emotion.
However, even though this book successfully portrays a little-known part of Anne Frank's story, I am docking the book a star for reinforcing the common misconception that Anne Frank wrote primarily in her red checkered diary. The illustrations and text emphasize the famous artifact that Miep saved, but the volume of work that Anne produced over her two years in hiding required multiple exercise books, not just a small diary and loose papers. Anne even revised her original diary in another notebook, rewriting her original entries with an eye towards eventual publication, but even though this book mentions Anne's goal, it further mythologizes the red checkered diary without portraying the true volume and extent of her writing.
February 13, 2025
Cried in front of my kids while reading this !
December 21, 2025
I didn’t know who rescued Anne Frank’s diary and preserved it. Interesting book. Great for older elementary students-middle schoolers.
November 20, 2019
Wonderful tribute to Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Anne Frank and her family. For two years the Frank family lived in hiding under the care of Miep, her husband, and a few others. When the Franks were taken away by Nazi soldiers, Miep had the foresight to grab her beloved Anne's diary and keep it safe. If it wasn't for this courageous woman, Anne's diary would have been lost forever. Pincus's beautiful writing brought tears to my eyes. Solano's gorgeous illustrations perfectly capture the somber mood of the text. The back matter provides additional information, and Pincus also shares her personal connection with Miep. A must-have for any classroom or library.
September 21, 2019
Author Meeg Pincus’s way of painting Miep’s deep love, affection, and pain for Anne Frank and her family is a gift to the reader. Adults will appreciate this book as much or even more so than kids might.
September 6, 2019
An amazing, thought-provoking history of bravery and resistance amid terrible darkness.
July 15, 2021
This picture book tells the story of the brave woman, Miep Gies, who rescued Anne Frank’s diary after Anne was taken by the Nazis.
The narrative is based on Miep’s own autobiography and how she remembered what happened. Miep Gies, as readers of The Diary of Anne Frank will know, helped eight people - the Frank family of four, the Van Pels family of three, and their acquaintance Fritz Pfeffer - survive during their two-year period of hiding from the Nazis in the secret annex above Otto Frank’s business. Most of the story in this book takes place after the hiders’ arrest on August 4, 1944. Otto Frank survived, but he was the only one. Anne’s mother died in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp 21 days before it was liberated. Anne and her sister Margot had been transferred to the Bergen-Belsen camp. Both died of typhus just two months before the Nazi surrendered. The Van Pels and Pfeffer all died in various concentration camps.
Miep lived to be 100, but never overcame the shock of the ordeal.
The author writes in notes at the end of the book that while most people know Miep retrieved the diary from the annex after the capture, they may not know what Miep did next:
“After the hiders were captured, Miep marched into the dangerous Nazi police headquarters twice and offered the officer from Vienna money to free them. Though he refused, Miep had the courage to try everything she could.”
The author observes:
“Miep did not want to be viewed as a hero. ‘Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling that you have to be a hero to do your human duty,’ she said. “I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not.’”
Illustrator Jordi Solano sticks to solemn tones dominated by brown and sepia.
Back matter includes “Author’s Notes,” “More About Miep’s Courage,” and a “Timeline of Miep’s Life.” The endpapers show the cover design of Anne’s diary along with actual photos.
Evaluation: The message of this book, highlighted by its emphasis on Miep’s role in Anne Frank’s story, is that in the face of injustice, the moral choice is the only choice. Children in the intended reading group of age eight and above will have much to reflect on: What did the Holocaust mean for those who lived under Nazi control? How do you know if something is wrong even if it is passed as law - especially in the present time when disinformation is so prevalent? If you did believe something was immoral and unjust, what would you do about it?
The narrative is based on Miep’s own autobiography and how she remembered what happened. Miep Gies, as readers of The Diary of Anne Frank will know, helped eight people - the Frank family of four, the Van Pels family of three, and their acquaintance Fritz Pfeffer - survive during their two-year period of hiding from the Nazis in the secret annex above Otto Frank’s business. Most of the story in this book takes place after the hiders’ arrest on August 4, 1944. Otto Frank survived, but he was the only one. Anne’s mother died in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp 21 days before it was liberated. Anne and her sister Margot had been transferred to the Bergen-Belsen camp. Both died of typhus just two months before the Nazi surrendered. The Van Pels and Pfeffer all died in various concentration camps.
Miep lived to be 100, but never overcame the shock of the ordeal.
The author writes in notes at the end of the book that while most people know Miep retrieved the diary from the annex after the capture, they may not know what Miep did next:
“After the hiders were captured, Miep marched into the dangerous Nazi police headquarters twice and offered the officer from Vienna money to free them. Though he refused, Miep had the courage to try everything she could.”
The author observes:
“Miep did not want to be viewed as a hero. ‘Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling that you have to be a hero to do your human duty,’ she said. “I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not.’”
Illustrator Jordi Solano sticks to solemn tones dominated by brown and sepia.
Back matter includes “Author’s Notes,” “More About Miep’s Courage,” and a “Timeline of Miep’s Life.” The endpapers show the cover design of Anne’s diary along with actual photos.
Evaluation: The message of this book, highlighted by its emphasis on Miep’s role in Anne Frank’s story, is that in the face of injustice, the moral choice is the only choice. Children in the intended reading group of age eight and above will have much to reflect on: What did the Holocaust mean for those who lived under Nazi control? How do you know if something is wrong even if it is passed as law - especially in the present time when disinformation is so prevalent? If you did believe something was immoral and unjust, what would you do about it?
June 7, 2022
Powerful, poignant, and profound, I absolutely loved this book. Miep Gies will always be one of my heroes. I will never forget what happened when I was watching the Academy Awards one night, and Stephen Spielberg walked on stage with a very small, elderly woman by his side. The very first thing he said was, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Miep Gies.’” The audience burst into wild applause and I burst into tears. Cold chills. Totally unexpected.
This picture book does a superb of telling the story of how Miep hid the Frank family and four others in the attic of Mr. Frank’s where she worked office building for over two years. She brought them food, water, and many other items they requested. She could been arrested at any time if the Nazis had suspected anything.
When the attic dwellers were betrayed and arrested, Miep talked her way out of trouble. Heartbroken, she went up to the attic before the Nazis came back and rescued Anne’s diary and her shawl.
If Miep had left the diary for the Nazis to find, she would have been arrested as a war criminal for hiding Jews. It was such an ironic happenstance that she went upstairs and chose to get Anne’s journal. I would teach high school students with this book. I would read it as a lesson introduction and see what they picked up on. The book is jam-packed with information. Fifth graders and up will get a great deal out of it, too. Amazing!!
This picture book does a superb of telling the story of how Miep hid the Frank family and four others in the attic of Mr. Frank’s where she worked office building for over two years. She brought them food, water, and many other items they requested. She could been arrested at any time if the Nazis had suspected anything.
When the attic dwellers were betrayed and arrested, Miep talked her way out of trouble. Heartbroken, she went up to the attic before the Nazis came back and rescued Anne’s diary and her shawl.
If Miep had left the diary for the Nazis to find, she would have been arrested as a war criminal for hiding Jews. It was such an ironic happenstance that she went upstairs and chose to get Anne’s journal. I would teach high school students with this book. I would read it as a lesson introduction and see what they picked up on. The book is jam-packed with information. Fifth graders and up will get a great deal out of it, too. Amazing!!
August 24, 2019
This one is a 3.5 for me, and I am pleased to have a picture book about this unsung hero from the Holocaust. Many individuals know the story of Anne Frank and have read at least parts of her diary, but the story of how that diary came to be saved is less known. Relying on the autobiography of Miep Gies, the author describes some of the thoughts and feelings of this woman who helped hide the Frank family and others in a secret area in a business for more than two years. Readers' hearts will race as along with Miep, they ponder their own fate, and then hope against hope that Anne and her family will survive the concentration camps. Her quick action in saving the diary and some other personal items insured that Anne would never be forgotten. The text and luminous illustrations are heart-wrenching at various points as readers ponder how painful it must have been for Otto Frank, Anne's father, to read the diary, and yet, how important it is to have her story told. This would be a nice introduction to the Holocaust or an example of the difference one person can make in the world around her. Teachers who are requiring that their students read Anne's diary might consider sharing this picture book with them since it further humanizes Anne and this period in history.
December 4, 2019
Interesting viewpoint on the Anne Frank story, from the POV of the woman who had hidden the Frank family, and how she reacted when they were discovered, how she hid the diary in hopes Anne would return to publish it, and eventually gave it to Anne's father when he was the only one to come back from the camps. Each spread starts with a sound: the stomp of Nazi boots on the secret stairs, or the ripping open of an envelope, announcing Anne's death, and so on. A very visceral way to tell the story. The illustrations were okay, not as good as I'd have liked. Author's note and timeline give more information about Miep's life.
December 10, 2019
I recall that when I read “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank in high school, I wondered about the people that housed her and her family. Now, I finally get to find out in this touching picture book that gives Miep Gies her time in the spotlight for helping out one of the most remarkable girls in history. Author Meep Pincus makes us feel Miep’s humanity and paints her as remarkable as the family she helped. This is an important volume among books that help us not forget the Holocaust and all the horrible things done to the Jewish people. The subdued palette of the soulful illustrations evoke a sense of watching a reel of history.
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April 13, 2020I felt like after reading this picturebook the book wasn't very interesting to me. The book kind of gave the same outplay of the Anne Franks other books published. The book went through the thoughts and feelings of Miep Gies. Thought the illustrations I thought were well planned and characterized throughout the book. I feel like this book is more pleasable to older adult readers than younger readers. Especially ones that have had more knowledge of Anne Franks's history in life. Now in the end from reading this if Anne Frank's diary was rescued there wouldn't be such historical insight.
December 9, 2019
I have not read Miep Gies's account of her life with the Frank family, but this wonderful book has definitely inspired me to look it up and learn more about her story. I can't imagine where the world would be without Anne Frank's diary...insofar as it was such an incredible insight into that horrific time, and seen through the eyes of such a young person. Miep's story of bravery and ambassadorship is also fascinating, and I'm keen to learn more.
February 16, 2020
This had better make it onto a lot of library shelves across the country, because if something of this quality has trouble making a mark, children's publishing is in big trouble. What an incredible depiction of a person who survived traumatic events and found a way to do something positive with a negative experience. From the main text to the end notes to the illustrations, there was no weak side in all this. I was very impressed.
February 11, 2023
The biography of the woman who was hiding Anne Frank's family during WWII and rescued her diary after the Nazi's discovered them. Author's Note, more information and a Timeline provided in the back.
Miep quote: "Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling that you have to be a hero to do your human duty," she said. "I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not."
Miep quote: "Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling that you have to be a hero to do your human duty," she said. "I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not."
July 19, 2023
There needs to be more. The subtitle is ‘the woman who rescued Anne Frank’s Diary’ but we learn almost nothing about her in the text, only in the timeline at the back of the book. The illustrations are nice - the muted tones reflect the somber material but the last illustration of modern children looking at a shelf of copies of the diary could have been of Miep giving a talk about Anne and the diary to a youthful audience.
January 6, 2025
Miep didn’t believe or view herself as a hero. A quote from her really struck me: “Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling you have to be a hero to do your human duty, I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not.”
As Meeg Pincus questioned, “Can you imagine our world if we all felt it was simply our human duty to help others in need, under any circumstances?”
As Meeg Pincus questioned, “Can you imagine our world if we all felt it was simply our human duty to help others in need, under any circumstances?”
March 22, 2021
This is a very important book! In a non itminiating way talk about the story of Anne Frank.
I know the story of Anne Frank, but I haven't read her diary. Why, I am not exactly sure why, but I think because it is sad and doesn't end well... I am going back to Amsterdam on a trip, and this time I am going to make it to the Anne Frank Museum so I will read it before I go back to the Netherlands.
I know the story of Anne Frank, but I haven't read her diary. Why, I am not exactly sure why, but I think because it is sad and doesn't end well... I am going back to Amsterdam on a trip, and this time I am going to make it to the Anne Frank Museum so I will read it before I go back to the Netherlands.
March 14, 2024
If you love Anne Frank’s story, you’ll enjoy learning about Miep, who saved her diary. Such a powerful story about how Miep risked her own life to help the Frank family and others in the attic, and she ends up saving the most famous diary in the world.
August 29, 2024
Hats off to the artist- the muted colors used in this really added to the story!
Miep is so brave and I'm glad the author highlights Miep's feelings on heroism- very important for others to take away from this story.
Miep is so brave and I'm glad the author highlights Miep's feelings on heroism- very important for others to take away from this story.
February 23, 2025
This is a great book for kids who might be a bit too young for The Diary of Anne Frank, perhaps ages 3-10. It tells about Miep, a woman credited with helping to hide Anne and seven others and who also saved her famous diary that would one day be published and read all over the world.
May 1, 2025
I loved this gentle book about Miep Gies' bravery and compassion in helping hide the Franks during World War II and her dedication to the family long after the war. She saved Anne's diary from the Nazis and for this reason we have her to thank for the world's most famous diary.
September 10, 2019
Very sad. I hope children read this. So thankful for Miep, reading "Diary of a Young Girl" was such an intense experience for me. I'm glad that people are still reading it!
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