Korean theater traditions meet American Halloween customs in this story about Kimin’s discovery of the perfect trick-or-treat costume. Search ing through his grandfather’s boxes, he finds a frightening white-eyebrowed, white-bearded mask and family photos of his grandfather, who was a famous mask dancer in Korea. By dressing as a Talchum dancer, Kimin connects to his grandfather and his Korean heritage and informs his friends about it. Whimsical illustrations, masks on the endpapers, and a note on traditional Korean mask dance illuminate the descriptive text. Bank Street Best Chil

Originally published in Korean as Haraboji ui t`al by K`ureyong Hausu Seoul, in 2007.

Halloween is coming. "What are you going to be?" the children ask one another. Kimin says he will be his grandfather. "Going as an old man is not very scary," they tease. What the children don't know is that Kimin's grandfather was a Korean mask dancer. And Kimin doesn't know that the mask holds a secret for him.

With vibrant illustrations, Yangsook Choi joins Korean and American folk traditions in her story about a boy who finds a link to his grandfather, behind the mask.

Behind the Mask is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.