Mies is a German slang word for something miserable, mean, or just bad. Quite unfairly, the same word is used for mussels. These little creatures don’t deserve it at all.

In reality, they are funny, expressive characters with rich inner lives and big emotions. They laugh, worry, argue, dream, and quietly observe the world around them. They share only one tragic flaw: once they settle somewhere, they can never move again.

This illustrated silent book tells a sequence of quirky visual episodes from the lives of these Miesmuscheln. There are no words—only ink drawings that capture fleeting moments, encounters, and routines in a humorous, surreal, and gently melancholic tone. Each image acts as an outtake from their lives, inviting the reader to piece together meaning through observation.

At its core, the book reframes “mies” not as something bad, but as something oddly lovable—while subtly reminding us of the fragility and value of each individual life, even when it ends on a plate as moules frites.

“Mies” is an all-age silent book