Behind the Mask

Kimin, a Korean-American boy, finally decides to dress as his grandfather for Halloween. But this is more than a mere Halloween story. It is a touching look at how the American Kimin finds a connection with his Korean grandfather, as well as the remarkable role the grandparent held in their cultural ancestry. He had been a mask dancer, the significance of which the author's note briefly explains. Beautifully painted replicas of masks and glimpses of clothing and decor carry the feel of Korea though the book. An exquisitely executed book.

Yangsook Choi's BEHIND THE MASK tells of a different kind of Halloween in which Kimin says he's going as his grandfather - not a fun prospect to the other kids. But Kimin is Korean and his father was a Korean mask dancer, holding some surprises for his grandchild's choice. Kids in grades 2-3 will find it a revealing, unusual take on Halloween fun.

Around early October, children's booksellers and librarians perform synchronized shudders as an influx of bad Halloween titles swamp bookshelves everywhere. You can't get away from them. Will the parents walk off with the repugnant tale of a little witch who just wants to be loved or something ironically sacchrine involving a boy who learns to share his candy? Whatever the case, the sheer piles of Halloween-inspired dreck is heady. With that in mind, a book like Yangsook Choi's, "Behind the Mask" comes across as a breath of fresh air in the midst of all this garbage. Choi tells a measured tale of a boy's wish to have the best and scariest costume for Halloween and throws in a good measure of Korean history and culture along the way. Consider this book the antidote to all the colorful horrible Halloween books that end up clogging the kiddies' brains. Kimin has a problem. A Halloween problem. He has no idea what to dress up as this year, and his mom isn't being much help. All she's done is suggest that he look through his grandfather's old belongings stuffed away in two heavy boxes. Kimin is aware that his grandfather was once a famous dancer in Korea, but he's just uncovered a hitherto buried memory from when he was younger. When he was very little, Kimin spied on his grandfather late one night, only to find that the beloved relative had transformed his own face into something horrific. Now, going through the old boxes, Kimin discovers a scary mask that is EXACTLY the face the boy thought he saw that night. Now everything is clear for Kimin, and better still, he's found his new costume. His choice of disguise comes off as a hit with the other kids, but when Kimin accidentally bruises his family's priceless family heirloom it's his mother he'll have to explain everything to in the end. Choi makes certain to end her book with a useful Author's Note at the back, explaining fully what a Talchum, or mask dance, really is. Now I'm not entirely certain why great Korean-American picture books are more plentiful than picture books from many other cultures these days. Maybe it's just my own perception, but when you've such high quality titles like Linda Sue Park's, "The Firekeeper's Son" and "Bee Bim Bop" alongside, "The Have a Good Day ?", by Frances and Ginger Park, you begin to take notice. This is by no means Choi's first book for children, but for those of us who are unfamiliar with her work, it makes for an ideal introduction. The story itself is intriguing. I was particularly interested in Kimin's repressed memories of seeing his masked grandfather and how that played into the plot. The last image in this book is of the boy asleep under the formerly "scary" mask, which gives the story a lasting feel of comfort. For me, the illustrations were touch and go. Some of them, like Kimin staring longingly out his window on a dark creepy night, have a wonderful tone and feeling to them. Others, like group shots of children on the playground, come across as