OUTSIDE MOM, INSIDE MOM

A child of Korean descent realizes that not everyone sees things the same way.

Nervous about starting a new school, the young narrator dons sneakers rather than a favorite pair of eye-catching red shoes (“I want to fit in, not stand out”). Mom understands; she’s eschewed a sparkly top today. At school, the child notices that others have very different conceptions of Mom. “Your mom is so quiet,” another parent says. “Your mom is so serious,” says Principal Pat. The child charmingly debunks each observation. “Outside Mom” may be quiet, but “Inside Mom” is anything but. While many see Mom as a serious, down-to-earth, rigid presence, a different side of her emerges: a chatty, prank-loving woman who once bravely uprooted her life to emigrate to a new home. The young protagonist can relate, soon withdrawing after feeling uncertain in this unfamiliar classroom: “I become quiet…Like an Outside Me.” But Mom reassures the child, who in turn cherishes those few moments when Inside Mom reveals herself outside the house, such as when they meet up with friends. Offering a thought-provoking lesson in perception, Park has crafted a balanced and sensitive look at an immigrant family’s experience, delightfully lightening her energetic narrative with moments of comedy. Wen deftly uses cooler colors to portray scenes of Outside Mom while employing a warmer palette for the expressive and boisterous Inside Mom.

Warm, insightful, and tender.