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