The Boy of a Thousand Faces

by Brian Selznick

Because Alonzo King was born on Halloween, he has always loved monsters. But no one would ever guess that he lives in a haunted house with a graveyard out back, communicates with the dead, turns into a six-armed, slime-covered creature, or is a walking encyclopedia on horror films! However, when The Beast arrives, not even Alonzo can track it down. Will he be able to solve the mystery of the creature stalking his town and make his dream of becoming The Boy of a Thousand Faces come true?

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Picture Books, Horror, Mystery, Juvenile, Graphic Novels

48 pages, Hardcover

First published August 22, 2000

About the author

Hello there. My name is Brian Selznick and I’m the author and illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I was born in 1966 in New Jersey. I have a sister who is a teacher, a brother who is a brain surgeon, and five nephews and one niece. I studied at The Rhode Island School of Design and after I graduated from college I worked at Eeyore’s Books for Children in New York City. I learned all about children’s books from my boss Steve Geck who is now an editor of children’s books at Greenwillow. While I was at Eeyore’s I also painted the windows for holidays and book events.

My first book, The Houdini Box, which I both wrote and illustrated, was published in 1991 while I was still working at the bookstore. Since then, I have illustrated many books for children, including Frindle by Andrew Clements, The Doll People by Ann Martin and Laura Godwin, Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan and The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley, which received a 2001 Caldecott Honor.

I have also written a few other books myself, including The Boy of a Thousand Faces, but The Invention of Hugo Cabret is by far the longest and most involved book I’ve ever worked on.

I live in Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California.

Reviews

[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i can't say i loved this as much as Brian's other books, but it was nice to go back and see how much he's evolved as a writer!

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with my granddaughter Aniyah. We will read The Houdini Box next in preparation for the journey into The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

This was a great story. Beautiful illustrations and a fine tale to go with them. Aniyah loved it.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and Fantastic. You can see the genius of Brian Selznick. A great little mystery with some creepy. A fun little story and again, like Hugo Cabret, he is going into the movie history of the great horror movies of Old Hollywood. Lon Chaney and Wolfman are in the book. It makes me wish he had made this a much longer, involved book. it was a lot of fun set around Halloween. It was also a lovely twist at the end I didn't see coming which is a feat for a children's book. A must read for any Brian Selznick fan.

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this rather lame and it didn't have a very good plot.

The illustrations are wonderful, but creepy. Not the monster illustrations, but the illustrations of humans - specifically the face of Mr. Blake. It gives me the heebie-jeebies. It's just the smiling face of an older man, but for some reason I shiver every time I see it. Not pleasant.

And the story doesn't make any sense. Nor is it particularly compelling.

Alonzo is a boy who loves monster movies. He was born on Halloween. He wants to be the "boy of a thousand faces" and so he makes different faces, sometimes monster faces, and takes Polaroids of them - he has 23. There's this plot about him writing to a horror show host, and there's a plot about something called The Beast coming to town. This "Beast" was not explained or described, and it's activities were not described. And in the end absolutely nothing happened. Very lame and disappointing.

The horror-show host subplot was just as stupid, but at least they explained stuff.

You can totally skip this one. Trust me.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute (and spooky) short story with amazing (and clever) portrait drawings.

[Espen Aukan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful, heartwarming and nostalgic little story, with beautiful illustrations and words. A short but rich book that made me remember the wonders of childhood and the magic and love I once had for horror cinema. Made me weep like hell.

[Ellenjsmellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son and I just got finished reading this. He's in kindergarten and is thrilled to be reading "chapter books".

[Craig Ranallo · Rating 4 out of 5]

And to think I never knew Brian Selznick wrote a book about me. If only it were longer!

[Cruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author / Illustrator: Brian Selznick
First published: 2000

I was wary that this would be a scary book, but it is typical of Selznick's other works - taking real world people and events and twisting them into a fantasy from a child protagonist's pov. In this case, Selznick takes horror movies and actors and allows 10yo Alfonso to embrace them. The joys and fears of believing in the unknown is beautifully expressed through Selznick's wonderful pencil drawings and engaging narrative. The illustrations strongly enhance the story, combining to create an easy to read and understandable tale, accessible to many ages.

A good story we thoroughly enjoyed, but I think I might slip it away for my nephew's (soon to be) 7th birthday. The combination of book and classic cinema is intriguing and something I think his Dad would enjoy exploring with him.

Creatures referenced
Lock Ness Monster
Big Foot

Classic movies referenced
Frankenstein
Dracula
The Wolf Man
The Bride of Frankenstein
Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman
The Incredible Shrinking Man
The Phantom of the Opera

The Man of a Thousand Faces
Lon Chaney

Age (taking into account comprehension, concentration, language):
Read aloud - 5+
Read yourself - 8+

(ISBN 9780064410809)

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alonzo King loves monsters, horror films, and disguises. It could be because Alonzo was born on Halloween or it could simply be that he likes spooky things. He avidly watches Monsters at Midnight on channel 37- a T. V. show hosted by Mr. Shadows and featuring all of the best old-time horror movies. Alonzo’s favorite is Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney- “The Man with a Thousand Faces.” Inspired by Chaney’s career, Alonzo hopes to be called “The Boy with a Thousand Faces” one day. So far, he’s perfected twenty-three disguises. When Alonzo sends his scariest face to Mr. Shadows, he doesn’t anticipate that his dream will come true in such a surprising way. Of course, Selznick’s illustrations are wonderful! So life-like! They can tell a story in-and-of themselves. This short book could become an excellent Halloween tradition because it contains a well-written story that’s just scary enough to make it fun. Mixed into the monster theme, Selznick writes about aspiration and friendship.

[Elisha Condie · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUCH a cool book. It's a little book, one to read at bedtime. Just the right amount of mystery and monsters to make it intriguing, but not nightmare inducing for the 4 year old.

Alonzo King loves old monster movies. He wants to be like Lon Cheney and have a thousand disguises. He writes a letter to Mr. Shadows, the host of his favorite monster movie program. Then a Beast comes to town and everyone is talking about it. Alonzo and his neighbor and friend solve the mystery of the Beast and the identity of the real Mr. Shadows.

A wonderful book and really wonderful illustrations. There is one on every page and they are PERFECT. We love this book.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author/illustrator Brian Selznick can do no wrong. I'll keep this title in mind as a library recommendation for reluctant readers; especially young boys with active imaginations and a healthy interest in monsters, both real and imagined. What other children's book has a full-page photo of Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera and the most famous (if questionable) Bigfoot and Loch Ness Monster photos? Unlike a lot of children's book makers, Selznick believes in the intelligence of his audience.

[Abendstern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das war wirklich süß für die 40 Seiten die es hatte, also da die Hälfte Bilder waren nur ungefähr 20 Seiten sehr groß geschriebener Text. Die Bilder waren sehr gut ausgearbeitet vor allem die Gesichter die schauen einen richtig an. Und es wird tatsächlich eine kleine Geschichte erzählt und man fühlt die Liebe des Jungen bzw. des Authors zu alten Horrorfilmen. Einziges Manko ist das es viel zu kurz war. ;)

[10-11 Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a boy who doesn't have a lot of friends.One day he takes a picture of himself in a costume and sends it to a tv show.Then everyone would talk about this scary picture of a beast.The boy wonders what the picture shows.When he saw the picture it surprised him.This book can be for people who never realy was popular but one day was.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art work is amazing. A very short, nice and easy read (5mins approx).

[ashes ➷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute! So good-hearted. I can't gush about Selznick's beautiful art in literally every review I write about his books, so I'll just say that it's as lovely as all his other books and so abundant. The black and white is a great choice, and the lighting and poses all evoke old horror films so effectively! Very glad I went on my little Selznick completionist binge. <3

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book by Selznick I found and could not recommend it highly enough, or often enough, to kids at my library! It was loved to death quite frequently! Story and illustrations were fabulous!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! Sort of spooky, but not too much. And after we read this, the kids did movie make up for us

[Becky Loader · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! I love the concept and the illustrations.

[Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how brilliantly creative Brian Selznick is.

The Boy of a Thousand Faces is an early reader "Horror" or "Thriller" story. I personally don't read a lot of horror, so I don't have much to compare it to. But, I did think it was brilliant.

Alonzo King was born on Halloween and LOVES monsters. He reads books, watches movies, and listens to radio dramas. He even takes photos of himself dressed in horror makeup. Alonzo wants to have 1,000 photos of himself in this makeup, just like Lon Chaney (the original Man of A Thousand Faces). During this quest, Alonzo finds himself wrapped up in a true possible horror! The Beast is wandering his city, and Alonzo thinks he can save the day.

Selznick includes not only his own illustrations, but images from our world in this book. This includes the classic Horror Film Monster stamps the USPS released, but also the classic images of Bigfoot and Nessie. I really enjoy this because it adds a sense of reality to this book. To me, connecting these images with the world I live in makes Alonzo and his story more real. ...Even though the images are of imaginary things.

All in all, this was quite a cute story. I really do enjoy Selznick's illustrations. He writing is striking, but never gripping, hence 3 stars.

I recommend this book to anyone interesting in horror monsters, who feels unique and occasionally alone, and who longs for their life to have adventure.

[Litland.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter introduced me to Selznick’s work and I hope it never goes out of print! His illustrations and story line are fantastic. Evaluating it against character education guidelines was simple http://www.litland.com/reviews_9-12/b...

This title should sound familiar to parents belonging to the Baby Boomer and Generation X eras. Younger parents may recognize it as well, particularly anyone with a love of classic film. It is a take-off of the name given to the famous actor, Lon Chaney, who was known as The Man of a Thousand Faces because of his versatility in portraying such as variety of characters. Selznick skillfully takes us into the life of a boy who wants to be just as versatile as Lon Chaney; to always be in disguise and not be recognized. He is mesmerized by the mystery, excitement and danger of real life monster sightings and classic horror flicks.

There are so many uses for this book (in addition to just reading it—LOL!) that I through a few together on our Parents & Teachers activities page http://www.litland.com/reviews_9-12/b... .

[Saskia Marijke Niehorster · Rating 4 out of 5]

We bought this book in 2003, when Brian Selznik came to the Reading Reptile bookstore to give a talk. The owners of the store, as is usual with their high quality business, put on a little play beforehand that had to do with monsters. So, we got, not only the opportunity to meet such a wonderful writer and illustrator, but also to see an original and scary play.

After the play, Mr. Selznick talked about how he come to be a writer and how he took his time doing the illustrations on his books. Not only is he a very interesting and fun man, but he is extremely accessible and good with children. He is a good story teller. We got the chance to meet him again some years later when he came again to the Reading Reptile to promote his Hugo Cabret book.

This book is well written and has many different layers to it. It is about a 10 year old boy who loves all things creepy and weird. It is about a caring neighbor who takes the time and interest to care for the boy and nurtures him in wonderful ways. It is the story of a desire to accomplish a goal in life and also of a small town who believes in monsters and bonds together because of the boy and his neighbor.

[Teresa Scherping Moulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alonzo King wants nothing more than to be the Boy of a Thousand Faces. He loves to watch old black-and-white horror movies featuring Lon Chaney, an actor who was called the Man of a Thousand Faces because in every movie he was dressed up to look scary in a completely different way. Alonzo tries to create his own one thousand scary looks with props and makeup, but he's only come up with 23 so far. Meanwhile, a rumor has spread that there's a Beast terrorizing the town, and Alonzo finds himself the resident expert on supernatural monsters. Discovering the true identity of the Beast will challenge everything Alonzo used to believe and will show him that he is capable of more than he ever thought possible.

[Paul Eckert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like his other books, The Boy of a Thousand Faces is about a boy who is obsessed with the supernatural. This boy in particular wants to be a young Lon Chaney, The Man of a Thousand Faces.

Charming as this story is, I did wish for a little bit more substance to the story. But alas, it is a kid's book, and it was actually fun to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride.

As with any of Selznick's books, the real joy is in experiencing his awesome illustrations that tell the story that the words leave out.

My only complaint was that the neighbor looked a little too child molester-ish...guess I'm too cynical.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky story about a boy who loves monster movies and has a goal to create a thousand different monster faces. Each time he finished transforming himself with paint, makeup and tape; he takes a picture of himself and puts it in a special notebook.
Will he be able to reach his goal? What secrets are Mr. Blake the local postman hiding? What happens when one of his monsters, The Beast, starts appearing for real?
Find the answers to these and more in the last book written and illustrated by Brian Selznick until The Invention of Hugo Cabret. There were seven years between the books, yet one can see the early workings of Hugo in this one.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful exploration of monsters and monster lovers. I love how Selznick gives us a since of a heritage of monster loving by telling us of the original Lon Chaney. And gives us a great dash of fantasy with Alonzo and his many photos of his own monster make up. It gives us a good taste of monster love without being at all scarey. I also like how Alonzo has a friendship with his grown up neighbor, while it's obviously very important to teach kids to be on gaurd for unsafe grown ups, I think it's important to show appropriate and safe intergenerational relationships in kids books.

[10-11 Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Tom’s favorite TV show is Monsters at Midnight. So he makes a mask of 18 of his favorite monsters and sends it out to the host of the show. The monster of the town comes then he finds out he is the monster. Then he finds out his neighbor is the old host of the TV show. So they play his favorite move the Phantom of the Opera and all the kids are driest like the monster of the town. So he has the boy of a thousand faces.

[Kim Burean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a short story about a boy, Alonzo, who loves monster movies. His dream is to be the Boy of a Thousand Faces. He writes a letter to his hero, a latenight horror movie host, and hopes for a response. In the meantime, there seems to be a beast on the loose in town and Alonzo wants to track him down.

A pre-Hugo Cabret effort by Brian Selznick, this book is a fun, brief book. It would be good for 3rd grade and up. Nothing amazing, but okay.

[Joanne G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Selznick's illustrations are delightful in this short chapter book about a young boy with a love of classic movie monsters. I was hoping for a little more substance--perhaps something scary, a bigger reveal with his neighbor, or more of a coming-of-age for the young boy--so the book fell short for me. However, it is a nice, gentle tale that could be read in one sitting, and a child might appreciate it more than I did.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of kids being into old silent horror movies. I think this might be a good choice for someone looking for a book for a younger reader that spooks easily. It's moody and kind of spooky without being actually scary. It would make a good lap read-aloud, and I think there are a lot of cool extension activities you could do (watching silent movies, monster dress up, letter writing to a local celebrity, stamp designing, etc.).