Silly Green Mask

Silly Green Mask had been sitting in a file cabinet for 40 years. It was recently found when its author, now a grandma, decided to recycle decades of papers from her files. Folded away were the yellow, tattered pages of a true story she'd written when she was a young single mother. She had once dreamed of making it into a children's story book. But life got in the way and the dream was forgotten. Upon finding the story, a little bird tweeted, "It's never too late to make your forgotten dream come true." Having no clue how to start, she began visualizing her dream until it came to be.

Silly Green Mask is about a very imaginative 3-year-old girl and her younger sister. At pre-school, the girl draws a silly face on green construction paper. Her teacher cuts it out, fashions it into a mask with eye holes, and attaches a string. The mask becomes a source of fun and theater for the girl, instantly turning her into an animated, make-believe character. One day, while wearing the mask, the girl becomes so wild that her little sister starts to cry. In an act of compassion, she makes a surprising decision.

Silly Green Mask is about love, family, innocence, imagination and the importance of choice.

Including in the book are the lyrics and music to four Japanese children's songs and a cut-out mask.

Since growing up on a small farm in Livingston, California, Judith Kajiwara has been on a life-long spiritual quest to find truth, freedom and joy. Livingston is home to the Yamato Colony where many Issei (first generation Japanese) farmers settled in the late 1800s. As a Sansei (third generation Japanese American), church, community and culture established the foundation for her life. After high school, she attended UC Berkeley where she worked as a grassroots community organizer while earning her degree in psychology.

In addition to writing, Judith continues to follow her passion for dance and healing. She is a seasoned Japanese Butoh solo performing artist, choreographer, dance teacher and Reiki energy healer. Through the healing and expressive arts, her work aspires to empower, unite and raise the consciousness of others. Judith works and lives with her family in Oakland, California. Born in San Francisco, California, Felicia Hoshino's prize-winning illustrations can be found in children's books such as Juna and Appa, A Place Where Sunflowers Grow, and Sora and the Cloud. She enjoys sketch-booking, illustrating portraits, cooking with her husband, and seeing her growing son's and daughter's creativity shine.

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