One More Story - Digital Picture Book App

One More Story is an impressive digital picture book app with loads of features that inspire young students to read. Its slogan is "Authors you know, books you love, " which is why I think that this app is so great. The creators are committed to consistently having high-quality literature that is well-known and popular in order to hook a reader. On principal, the creators include Caldecott winning titles throughout their library, along with many celebrated children's authors and classic titles.

The features of this digital picture book app include the following:

•  Each piece of literature has original music and effects that are unique to the book. The music was composed by the former music director of Sesame Street, so they are catchy and specifically targeted for students and children. Additionally, the books are narrated by professional actors. This guarantees that the books are read with meaning, which is so important to helping a child become immersed in a text. There are also a variety of voices, which are intended for students that are ELL to become exposed to many versions of American spoke English.
• In addition to being read to, children can choose to read the book in Read-Along Mode. This is perfect for early readers still developing confidence in their foundational skills. The books play with narration by an author and have the aforementioned music and effects, but also highlight each word as they are individually spoken. This helps with many pre-reading skills, which builds on a child's understanding of print.
• For more advanced readers, users can enter into I Can Read It Mode, which is specifically designed for emergent readers. In this mode, there is no music or narration. It does, however, give the students the opportunity to click on unfamiliar words so that they can hear it aloud. One of my favorite features is the My Word List. This helps with fluency as users move through the titles. When students are in the I Can Read It Mode, every word that is clicked is automatically added to the My Word List. They can click the word to hear it over and over again until it is mastered. Once it is mastered, students can move the word to the My Learned Words list.
• Any challenging words are automatically included in the Vocabulary feature, which includes definitions of the words and the words used within the context of the story. This is so helpful to readers that need the extra assistance. 

I am such a fan of this tool, not only because it has incredible literature and so many wonderful features included, but also because it is so considerate of different learners. There are features for ELL students, students with disabilities, students struggling with fluency, students that are pre-reading, students that are emerging readers, and students across the spectrum. 

I would definitely use this in my classroom, as I think it is an extremely valuable tool for all kinds of readers!

My Backpack - Digital Picture Book App

MyBackpack is an interesting early education app that can be downloaded from the iTunes app store. Targeted towards students from preschool to second grade. I like to think of this app as an all-encompassing tool which incorporates not only picture books, but also original songs, nursery rhymes and mathematics into its interface.

The features of the app include the following:

• 16 "Traditional Tales" books, which are nicely illustrated and interactive. These books are intended to be read-along stories, but allow the child to choose from a few options. The child can read the story on their own, be read to by the app, or watch the story like a movie. This is a wonderful feature for early readers as it would help them build confidence in reading books. There are also features that allow the reader to interact with the picture books by clicking on the pictures. Readers may also click on unfamiliar words and they can be read aloud to help with fluency and pronunciation.
• 8 nursery rhymes, which are meant to be read-alongs. Each page has interactive features which are meant to engage pre-readers and keep early readers excited about the rhymes.
• 35 original songs are included, which involve topics about reading, math, and science. They are pretty catchy, so I can imagine users getting excited about the songs!
   
• 4 mental mathematics games, which are interactive and have several levels for users to progress through. Although this does not have to do with reading, including these games may encourage users to explore the app further and use it for several purposes. 

Although I really enjoy this app and thing that it has a lot of high-quality features that would be beneficial to early readers, teachers, and even parents, I do think that it is important for the app to expand the number of books that they provide access to. I would consider the books high quality in terms of the illustrations, interactivity, and the multiple ways in which they are presented to children. I do think, however, expanding the variety and diversity of the books would make this app even better for children to use.

I like that there are other subjects integrated into the app and I think that the songs and nursery rhymes are extremely valuable to early readers, but I fear that the games may overshadow the literature included in the app.

Overall, I think that this would be a great app to incorporate into my classroom—if I was teaching young students. If I used it, though, I feel as though I would have to restrict or limit access to the games on the app in order for students to get something out of it.

Epic! - Digital Picture Book App

Epic! is an incredible digital picture book app available for free to educators and librarians. I've personally used this app with students and have found great success engaging students and getting them "hooked" on a digital title.

Some notable features of this app include:

• The service is completely free if you are a verified educator. It is relatively simple to sign up and as long as you work in a school as a teacher or librarian in the United States or Canada, you have full access to everything the app offers.
  
• The app provides unlimited access to thousands of books. Many of these titles are considered high-quality literature. A large percentage of them are well-known books or popular children's series. There are also a variety of titles published especially for the app that you would not be able to find elsewhere. This gives the app a unique variety within its titles that works to encourage students to read with diversity in mind.
   
• Epic! gives educators access to create unique profiles for each of their students. These profiles are helpful because they recommend titles to individual students based on what they've previously read or their self-reported interests. The profiles also track students' reading progress, which can help a teacher gauge a student's stamina and how quickly they move through books. 

Although there are considerable benefits to using this app, there are some drawbacks to consider when introducing this to your students. Primarily, like any digital picture book service, students must be taught how to use it and navigate from one book to another. Epic! has a rating system that students can engage with at the end of each of the books that have been read, so this is another element that can enhance the reading experience but requires some form front-loading. 

Additionally, students being introduced to a digital media for the first time tend to think of these kinds of apps as a game. In my experience, students I work with often try to get to the end of the book as quickly as possible because they enjoy swiping through the pages This is an obstacle that any teacher needs to help students overcome in order to successfully introduce digital texts. 

Overall, however, Epic! is a great application that allows access to its books on iPhones, tablets, and desktop computers. It is easily accessible and has a wide variety of high-quality, interactive titles that get students excited about reading. 

Everybody Was a Baby Once and Other Poems

This collection of poems features comical children's poems about a wide variety of topics. Most of the poems deal with events that occur in a young child's life, so they are easily accessible themes for children of all ages. 

Although I thought this book was good, I thought it lacked a point and really wasn't engaging enough to warrant using it in my own classroom. It explores some themes that I could potentially use in my classroom and with children, but I don't think that the book as a whole works cohesively enough to do this. 

Additionally, there are some topics that are explored that have deeper, more mature content. Some of the language is very advanced or antiquated, even though this book was published in 2010. There were points were I wondered what words meant because I had never heard them before. Upon looking them up, it was pretty clear that they were words that were once used, but no longer are a part of children's or adult's everyday vocabulary. I found this odd and a little unrelatable. 

Although I don't feel as though this book would add value to my classroom library, there are simple structures within it that would work to introduce rhyme and poetic techniques that we see in writing. These could be pulled out of the collection to model something to students or simply used in isolation to teach a point. 

Everybody Was a Baby Once and Other Poems 
By: Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman 
Published in 2010 

Orangutan Tongs: Poems to Tangle Your Tongue

This poetry book is pretty difficult to read, but a lot of fun! The author, Jon Agee, compiled a collection of several tongue-twisting poems about silly and wacky situations. The lengths of each of the poems vary widely, but they are well-written and easy to get engaged in. The illustrations in this book are relatively simple, but their cartoonish qualities are the perfect accompaniment to the silly tongue twisters.

I really enjoyed reading the poems in this book and found that reading them aloud was even more fun that I had originally thought! I can imagine how funny it would be to do this with a classroom, challenging each other to get through the mixed up words. Probably even more humorous is watching a teacher struggle to get through a poem! 

This book would be particularly helpful with learning about rhyming, word beginnings, and word endings. I can imagine students working on a choral reading for this, also!   

Orangutan Tongs: Poems to Tangle Your Tongue 
By: Jon Agee 
Published in 2009 

Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems

This unique poetry book explores an imaginative world in which animals and inanimate objects are combined to create interesting members of the animal community. The "umbrellaphant," which is the first animal the author writes about, is an elephant with an umbrella at the end of his trunk! He is always content because he is always dry and in the shade. Prelutsky combines other animals, too, creating zipperpottemuses and toadsters that encounter silly situations throughout the rhyming verses. Through the use of puns and plays on words, the author creates a lyrical and sing-song collection of poems that would make anyone giggle. 

The illustrations were incredible, too! I have come to love the mixed media, collaged illustrative style. I find it to be really interesting and unique. It also fits the theme of this poetry book well, combining unlike things to create a cohesive and creative image. The overall "feel" of the illustrations make the book feel vintage, and I enjoy that feature about it! 

I can definitely see myself using this book in my classroom, whether I am working with younger students or students that are in upper elementary grades. I think it could be used as a way to get students thinking about ideas they want to write about or as a model for a poem of their choice. Students can choose two unlike objects and combine them in a creative way. It could also be used to introduce the concept of smilies and metaphors in comparing objects. Art is a great way to culminate this project by allowing students to use recyclable materials to create a physical representation of their creature. I feel like it would be incredibly engaging and interesting to see what students create! 

Additionally, there are a lot of really wonderful words that are used in this collection of poems. They are descriptive and detailed and really accomplish exactly what the author intends to. I can imagine using this book in a lesson on descriptive language in order to show students what the "right" word can do in a situation—especially in poetry. 

Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems 
By: Jack Prelutsky 
Illustrated by: Carin Berger 
Published in 2006

Where the Wild Things Are

Where the Wild Things Are is a classic children's picture book about Max, a mischief-making child in a wolf suit. When he's made too much mischief in his house, his mother calls him a "Wild Thing" and sends him to his room without dinner. Upset and angry with his parents, Max watches as a forest begins to grow in his room. His imagination takes him by boat through an ocean and to the place where the wild things are. Although they are scary at first, Max shows bravery, tames the wild things, and crowns himself as thier king. They engage in a wild rumpus together until Max sends the monsters to bed. In the quiet, Max feels lonely (and a little hungry) and decides that it is time to sail home. He realizes that he wants to be in the place where someone loves him best of all. 

I have read this book countless times, but never through the perspective of it being "banned" or "controversial." With this lens, I found it hard to see anything that I would find upsetting to children or adults. The only thing that I could possibly imagine being a problem is Max's desire to "run away" from his home because of his mother. Parents may view this as a book that promotes this and may not want to expose their children to that kind of mindset. 

Upon discovering that the book was actually banned for how frightening it was, I was genuinely surprised! I don't think that it is scary at all, but this may have to do with the fact that it was published in 1993. I find it so interesting that people may have thought that the illustrations were too much for young readers. I think that the illustrations hold a lot of meaning and the expressions on the faces of the monsters tell a very different story. That's my opinion, anyway. 

I think that there is most definitely a place for this book—and Maurice Sendak's other books—in my classroom as he tells imaginative stories that really capture a reader.

Where the Wild Things Are
By: Maurice Sendak 
Published in 1993 

And Tango Makes Three

This adorable, true story follows two male penguins, Roy and Silo, from the Central Park Zoo. They are chinstrap penguins that live in an exhibit in New York. Roy and Silo do everything together—they swim and play and build a nest for a baby penguin. They're best friends and in love, but can't do everything that other couples do. They see all the other penguin couples laying eggs and hatching babies, and they want one, too. They "adopt" a rock and sit on it to keep it warm, hoping that it would turn into a baby penguin. After a while, the zookeeper observes their behavior and takes an extra egg and gives it to the penguins to care for. Roy and Silo love the egg like it is their own and they keep careful watch over it for months. Eventually, the egg hatches and Tango, a young girl penguin, joins their family! 

In my opinion, this was such a cute book with an incredible and happy ending! Personally, I think that it is important and valuable to have literature like this in a classroom. Approaching the subject of homosexuality is so difficult with children, especially because it is a topic that is not universally agreed upon. Despite this, it is highly likely that students we encounter will have homosexual parents, family members, or friends. They may even be homosexual themselves. It is important to teach our children that people are people, no matter their sexual orientation. This book does this in a genuine way that shows these kinds of relationships are natural, especially because we can find them in nature! 

I can clearly understand where schools and parents are hesitant to share this book with their children. Sexuality is a sensitive and heavy subject, which some find too uncomfortable to talk about with their own children. In my opinion, however, I find this book to be more about family and love than it is about furthering the LGBTQ+ agenda. It is a positive thing to have literature like this in a classroom, no matter how young students are. Although conversations about sexuality may be difficult and awkward, it is essential that educators show acceptance for all and celebrate the differences that people, or penguins, have. If we do not, we risk ostracizing a child or inadvertently telling a child that who they are is unacceptable or wrong. 

And Tango Makes Three 
By: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell 
Illustrated by: Henry Cole 
Published in 2005

What's Wrong with Timmy?

What's Wrong with Timmy? is a book that broaches the difficult subject of children with disabilities in an approachable way. The story follows Kate, a curious 8-year-old that is always asking questions about what she doesn't understand. When she sees a boy in the park that does not look like she does, she asks her mother, "What's wrong with Timmy?" Her mother took an extended amount of time to talk to her and explain the idea of a disability to her. Despite this, Kate was still nervous and scared to interact with Timmy. He was different than her and he made her uncomfortable. After a formal introduction, however, Kate learns that Timmy has a lot more in common with her than she originally thought. She includes him in a basketball game with her friends and decides that they will be friends for a long time. 

I think that this book does a great job of approaching this subject in a genuine and gentle way. The way that the mother explains things to her daughter is very candid in nature and I appreciate that. It almost gives adults directions on how to have this difficult conversation with inquisitive children. One thing that I noticed was the use of the word "retarded" in this book. This book was published in 2001, so the movement to abolish that word from society's vocabulary was just beginning. I hope that the author considers re-printing the text with a more appropriate word that is socially acceptable at this point. 

I enjoyed the illustrations best as they were etherial, whimsical, and evoked a lot of feeling.  The lack of detail made it so that a reader could really picture whoever they wanted in the story, which broadened the audience and helped me see myself in the characters. 

Overall, I think that this book does a great job of approaching children with disabilities and the curiosity that other children may have when encountering them for the first time. The focus on religion and God's will was a little much for me, so I feel as though teachers should think carefully about using this in a classroom. It does, however, confront a difficult topic in a natural and gentle way that would help students become more understanding, so I think it is great! 

What's Wrong with Timmy? 
By: Maria Shriver 
Illustrated by: Sandra Speidel 
Published in 2001 

Like Pickle Juice On a Cookie

Like Pickle Juice On a Cookie is a novel written in verse that follows the story of Eleanor, eight-year old. Eleanor finds out that her beloved babysitter, Bibi, will be moving away to care for her sick father. Upset and distraught, she has to bear the summer without Bibi and with a new babysitter. Natalie is her newest babysitter, who tries hard to establish a relationship with Eleanor.

Although Eleanor is resistant to Natalie at first, she realizes that she means well and they have fun together. Eleanor decides to write a letter to Bibi to tell her how much she misses her and Natalie waits with Eleanor every day for the mail to check if Bibi has written back. Although it takes her a long time—Eleanor finishes the summer and starts 3rd grade before the letter comes—Bibi finally responds and Eleanor knows that she will be with her forever.

Admittedly, I had never read a novel written in verse before. It had a very lyrical style and was repetitive in nature throughout the book. I thought that the sing-song style of the book was interesting and it captured my attention, but I thought it was rather boring at times. The writing was simple and not necessarily interesting.

I did, however, enjoy the topic that the author chose. It was inspired by an event in the author's life, but it is a situation that almost all children deal with or can relate to. Whether it is a babysitter or a member of the family or a friend, children lose people in their lives and it is important to talk through those feelings of loss and loneliness. This book did that in a way that was approachable and relatable, while being positive about the unwanted outcome.

This book would be a great choice for a child that is going through a big change at home or experiencing some sort of shift in their life. I think that it would help them sort through some of the issues that they face, and would be a great way to discuss feelings when children do not have the words for them.

Like Pickle Juice On a Cookie
By: Julie Sternberg
Illustrated by: Matthew Cordell
Published in 2011

Six Dots: A story of Young Louis Braille

Six Dots tells the story of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille Alphabet. As a young child, Louis loved to watch his father work in his shop. Although he was too small to help out, he would hang around his father and admire his work. His father would always remind him not to touch anything, especially because he was too young. This bothered Louis and he set out to prove his worth to his father. Unfortunately, this led to an accident that caused loss of sight in Louis' eyes at the age of five.

Louis was a clever boy, however, and he was determined to live just like any other child in spite of his blindness. What he wanted most was the ability to participate in school like all the children around him; he wanted to read and write. He found that there were no books for the blind in his small community, so he traveled to the school for the blind in Paris to fulfill his dream of being able to read books. Even at the school for the blind, there were no books that he could read.

Using inspiration from a French army captain, Louis invented his own alphabet that could be read by touch. Six dots were arranged in different positions to represent each letter and number. At the young age of fifteen, he created a system that is still used throughout the blind community today.

Just like El Deafo, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I am deeply committed to understanding the blind community and love to learn about innovations that have made every day pleasures more accessible to people with vision impairments. This gave beautiful insight into the world of someone that could once see, but lost their sight.

The illustrations were beautiful, but I particularly enjoyed the parts in which Louis was describing his experience. The pages were black with subdued, blue images. On some pages, Louis could be seen in color, as this is what he remembers himself looking like.

I was so interested in this young boy's story and had no clue this is how the Braille alphabet came to be! I think that this would be an incredible topic to talk about with students, especially with the opportunity to weave some form of an engineering project into the lesson.

The most powerful part of the book, in my opinion, was the part when Louis was describing the sounds that he had become familiar. He stated that he heard the neighbor's dog, which was "chained too tight, alone in the dark." He likened this dog to himself and explained that he knew just how the dog felt. I really connected with this section and felt deeply what Louis was feeling.

I would definitely include this book in my classroom library, as it is an incredible piece of literature that taught me so much!

Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille 
By: Jen Bryant
Illustrated by: Boris Kulikov
Published in 2016

Leaves

Leaves follows the story of a young bear experiencing fall for the first time. The bear had never seen leaves fall off of trees before, so he is immediately distraught and seems to be concerned about what's going on. He tries to place the leaves back onto the trees, but he is unsuccessful and accepts that the season is changing. 

As the leaves settle and the wind picks up, the bear gathers leaves and snuggles into a hole to sleep. The bear sleeps through the winter and greets the world and the budding leaves once again in the spring. 

I thought that this was a really cute book that subtly introduced the idea of the changing of the seasons and hibernation. Although it was relatively simple, there were some big ideas that the author tackled, especially for young readers. 

I think that this is a great teaching tool, especially around fall, when teachers could talk about these topics and integrate science and literacy. Also an interesting way to approach this book may be by introducing a reading comprehension strategy lesson on using the illustrations to understand the bear and its emotions. The illustrations in this book are particularly telling and definitely could help introduce feelings. 

Overall, I thought this was a really cute book to use with young readers! 

Leaves 
By: David Ezra Stein
Published in 2007 

Because of an Acorn

Because of an Acorn follows the story of a small acorn and the influence it can have on an entire forest. Through simple words and intricate illustrations, the life-cycle of an acorn is depicted and the interdependence of the natural world is revealed.

I think that this book would be a great book to read to students that are in kindergarten through second grade. With simple words and vibrant pictures, students can follow the path of the acorn and see how it influences each part of the natural cycle.

It is also a great book to use with upper elementary students, too. Although the text is relatively simple, there is a lot of back matter included that refers to additional information on white oak trees, the ecosystem, and the food chain. It also explains the function of acorns, sprouts, and saplings and their role in the forest. The most interesting part of the back matter, in my opinion, is the information included about how the forest needs all of its inhabitants and the fact that people cannot survive without forests. This information is paired with resources and tips on how readers can help the environment.

My favorite part of this book were the gorgeous illustrations. The illustrations have this three-dimensional feel to them that make the reader feel as though they are a part of the forest, walking among the trees and animals. The illustrations were made with paint and ink and were scanned to be manipulated digitally. Additionally, there are die-cuts on the first and last pages that are beautifully integrated into the illustrations. These continue to remind readers of the reliance the environment has on the relationships between plants, animals, and humans.

Because of an Acorn 
By: Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer
Illustrated by: Frann Preston-Gannon
Published in 2016

El Deafo

El Deafo is a graphic novel that tells the story of young Cece Bell, a deaf elementary school student adapting to the world around her. She contracted meningitis at the age of four and lost her hearing shortly afterwards. As a kindergartener, Cece attended a school especially for students dealing with hearing loss. Her classmates around her were just like her and she felt comfortable in her environment.

When she moves to a new state with her family, however, Cece begins attending a new school with hearing kids. Although she is excited, Cece is nervous to begin school because she has to wear a giant hearing aid strapped to her chest. She's afraid to be different or stand out from the rest of her class and she is absolutely sure that everyone is staring at her and her Phonic Ear.

Cece initially struggles to make friends, finding people that are too interested in her deafness or inconsiderate of her. She longs for true friendship. Soon enough, Cece discovers that she may have super powers. She can hear everything her teacher is doing, inside and outside of the classroom! Her super powers inspire her imagination and help her think of herself as El Deafo, Listener for All. She hopes that her superpowers will help her to find a sidekick!

I was overwhelmingly in love with this book! I have always been interested in the deaf community and deaf culture and have engaged with members of this community all throughout my life. Becoming fluent in American Sign Language is a goal of mine, but I understand why Cece did not want to get involved with it and recognize that every deaf or hearing-impaired person has their own decisions to make about their involvement in the deaf community.

I think that this book is such an approachable way to broach the topic of hearing impairments and disabilities within the classroom, preaching acceptance and appropriate behavior with others that may be different. It is increasingly important to recognize these differences and celebrate them, as students of all kinds are being included in general education classrooms all over the nation!

These steps towards inclusion make it very important for teachers to include literature within the classroom library that not only educates and celebrates differences that students may have, but also gives students with disabilities the opportunity to see themselves in the books that they read. How powerful this book could be for a student struggling with hearing loss! And how heartwarming would it be to see students better understand that student as a result of a book that they've engaged with!

I would definitely include this, and other graphic novels, in my classroom! I have always been interested in comics and read them throughout high school. These graphic novels give students the opportunity to use all sorts of reading comprehension strategies to come to understand the author's message. I appreciate them and believe they have a place in every classroom!

El Deafo
By: Cece Bell
Illustrated by: David Lasky
Published in 2014

Author Study - Landed

Landed is a historical fiction picture book that tells the story of Sun, a twelve-year-old boy that is living in China. Now that he's turned twelve, it is his responsibility to study hard so that he—like his older brothers—can move to the United States to tend to his father's store in San Francisco. Moving to a new country, however, is not an easy task and Sun quickly learns that it takes a lot of effort. He begins studying with a tutor because he will be interviewed and will need to prove that he is not lying about his family and his background. 

As a reader, we soon find out that new Chinese immigrants are kept at a place named Angel Island before being admitted to the United States. At Angel Island, officials ask each person specific, detailed questions about their families, their extended families, their homes in China, and their village. These questions are intended to ensure that Sun is actually his father's biological son. Some children were sent as "paper sons"—they were not biologically related to the family that claimed them and they were intending to illegally enter the country to begin a new life in America. 

Although Sun is not a "paper son," he is still nervous about the interviews. He is particularly bad at directions (north, south, east, and west). He answers all of the questions confidently, until he is asked a question about the direction of his house. His interview is cut short two other times as a result of his inability to answer the question. Finally, he's surprised with a gift from his father—a compass. It helps him visualize his home and determine the answers to the questions. As a result, Sun is finally released from Angel Island and reunites with his father and brothers! 

I enjoyed this book, though I thought that its prose was a little boring and lacked emotion. I could definitely see myself using this in a classroom, however. I think it would work well for upper elementary students that are learning about the immigration process and different cultural groups. It would be interesting to talk to students about their own personal backgrounds, as many United States citizens can trace their roots to another country outside of the United States. 

Landed
By: Milly Lee  
Illustrated by: Yangsook Choi 

Published in 2006 

Author Study - Behind the Mask

Behind the Mask is a picture book that blends Korean and American traditions to make an interesting and engaging story. A Korean boy, Kimin, has nothing to wear for Halloween. To inspire him, Kimin's mother leaves a few of his grandfather's keepsakes in his room. They are family treasures and she warns him to guard them carefully. 

Although Kimin is apprehensive because the memories he has of his grandfather aren't pleasant, the young boy looks through the boxes. He becomes more and more curious the more he discovers. Eventually, Kimin finds his grandfather's dancing costumes and masks and he knows what he wants to be for Halloween! He sneaks away to trick-or-treat before his mother can catch him wearing the family treasures. 

After a night of dancing, candy, and friends, Kimin returns with a damaged mask. He took a tumble and scratched the front. After racing home to tell his mother, he's surprised by all of his friends that have followed him home to return a note that fell from the mask in the accident. The letter was from Kimin's grandfather and he proudly left all of his masks to Kimin after his death. Kimin was so excited and showed off all of his grandfather's items to his friends. His mother also helped him hang up the masks in his room. As a result, he came to appreciate his culture and his grandfather's role in his life. 

I enjoyed reading this book by Yangsook Choi and am beginning to notice a pattern with the themes of her books. Often times they are about accepting one's own culture or background, and this is something that Kimin is directly confronted with. Although he is afraid to be himself at first, he is celebrated for it by his friends at the end of the book. 

Another aspect of Yangsook Choi's writing is that she continually uses foreign languages throughout the text. For example, "tal" means mask, which the author uses quite often throughout the text. Incorporating these aspects of the Korean culture made the book more interesting and diverse. It also worked to celebrate the character's curiosity and their willingness to learn about their own background. 

Yangsook Choi is an illustrator, too, and illustrates her own books. Behind the Mask is a great example of her work because she consistently makes an effort to make her books relatable to several kinds of readers. Each illustrations represented multiple cultures and features several kinds of trick-or-treaters.
Within the illustrations, multiple cultures of "trick or treaters" are represented. 

I would definitely use this book in my classroom during Halloween to celebrate the different cultures that have similar kinds of celebrations around the world. 

Behind the Mask 
By: Yangsook Choi
Published in 2006