Dear Mili

Dear Mili is a little-known fairy tale written by Wilhelm Grimm, the younger of the famous Brothers Grimm, in 1816. The story was sent as a letter to a young girl named Mili but remained unpublished for over 170 years. It tells of a mother sending her child into the forest to protect her from a coming war. The girl is guided by a guardian angel and sheltered by a kindly hermit, and when she finally returns home, she discovers that time has passed in mysterious, magical ways.

Maurice Sendak’s haunting and expressive illustrations bring both the darkness and the beauty of the tale to life. Blending childhood innocence with the weight of history, this book is a poignant meditation on war, loss, and the enduring bond between parent and child.