October is the month to shine for cosplayers and Trick-or-Treaters. One of the most popular costumes in the last two decades has been that of No-Face from the movie, Spirited Away. This 2001 fantasy/adventure movie was inspired by the book, The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba. Although the movie draws inspiration from the book, the story and atmosphere vary significantly.

The middle grade novel begins with Lina setting off from home under direction by her father to find Misty Valley. With some effort and a little magic, she arrives at Picotto Hall. She’s told by the proprietor that she must work for her keep. Each week, Lina visits a new shopfront where she is presented with tasks to complete and fantastical people who need help. Any one of the wise and caring characters in The Village Beyond the Mist can serve for costuming inspiration as do the characters in Spirited Away.

Cast of Characters:

• Lina Uesugi – A girl carrying a polka dot umbrella with a clown handle. Lina often tightens her ponytail by separating it in two pieces that she pulls apart.
• Mrs. Pippity Picotto – An elderly woman likened to a scarecrow dressed all in black with silver plaited hair that wraps around her head. Frequently heard saying, “What exactly did I say?”
• Icchan – An inventor whose big, round, red nose is always injured. Frequently heard saying, “I wouldn’t expect you to believe something just because someone told you it was true.”
• Gentleman – An “enormous” cat with golden fur who is good at math.
• Imp – A boy with small yellow horns, freckles and LOADS of candy. He wears only swim trunks and is friends with the tiniest gnome.
• Thomas – A marine expert and woodcarver who uses a pipe and wears a mustache and striped shirt. He lives with his pal, Dummy.
• Dummy – A white parrot who enjoys reading Robinson Crusoe and slinging insults.
• Monday and Sunday – This is a father and son duo. Monday runs the toy shop. He wears a leather apron and has a lollipop. Sunday wears a Hyottoko mask. They both have red hair.

I would go as far to say that the first neighbor we meet, Nata, would make for an ideal costume for teachers and librarians. Nata runs the bookstore. We meet her in the midst of a messy inventory process. At one point, a high school student comes in looking for a math book, but he’s drawn to a book of poetry that fits snugly in his hands. “It’s yours… take it,” Nata says. She explains to Lina that when people immerse themselves in books, that’s payment enough. Incidentally, “Many of the books Nata called her treasures seemed to come from overseas” (p. 48). We appreciate a global book lover.

As Lina meets all the residents of the village, she is perplexed by how to do her job while honoring the people around her. At one point, she worries about her own ability to meet the needs of her community. “Maybe we’re all just skittish because we don’t know each other as well as we might…. We don’t deal with each other face-to-face; we only watch from a distance. Maybe it’s better to leap into the fray…” her friend, Icchan assures her (p. 74).

The Village Beyond the Mist is easy to read and offers many examples of conflict management, kindness, industriousness, problem solving, introspection and community. And, like Halloween revelers, the characters sometimes over-indulge in candy. Today’s children and the people who love them will find connection to the story and characters.

The Village Beyond the Mist, which was first published in 1975 but only translated in the U.S. this year, is Kashiwaba’s first novel. Her subsequent novels available in the U.S. are Temple Alley Summer (winner of the 2022 Batchelder Award) and The House of the Lost on the Cape (a 2024 Batchelder Honor Book). The Village Beyond the Mist illustrator, Miho Satake, also illustrated Temple Alley Summer, Howl’s Moving Castle, the Moribito series, and several books in the Kiki’s Delivery Service series. The Japanese to English translator of The Village Beyond the Mist, Avery Fischer Udagawa, also translated Temple Alley Summer and The House of the Lost on the Cape. -Recommended by Rebecca Ballenger, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Title: The Village Beyond the Mist
Author: Sachiko Kashiwaba
Illustrator: Miho Satake
Translator: Avery Fischer Udagawa
ISBN: 9781632063922
PubDate: May 27, 2025
Publisher: Restless Books

Each month a committee of Worlds of Words advisors recommends a book published within the last year. Our hope is to spark conversations on our website and on social media about the book that expand global understandings and perceptions. Please join us by leaving a comment. You can also share your thoughts with us by using the hashtag #WOWRecommends on social media.

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• Themes: Avery Fischer Udagawa, Miho Satake, Rebecca Ballenger, Sachiko Kashiwaba, Village Beyond the Mist
• Descriptors: WOW Recommends