Another example of separation anxiety is the Native American folktale about the Wendigo that has crept into American children's folktale anthologies. In Meet the Monsters, the Wendigo is a horrible monster that will eat children when they are alone in the forest. The Boogey Man in the United States and La Lechusa or La Llorana in Mexico frighten naughty children into behaving and keep them from wanting to wander. These stories create fear for a child because of their threat to their physical well-being, but also create an association between violence and the concept of evil. Therefore if they misbehave they may identify with the evil of the Boogeyman.
Children also identify with monsters that exemplify their insecurities.
Another child's book, A Halloween Mask for Monster , teaches children that scariness and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder. A little monster boy tries on different masks for Halloween. They include human boy and girl masks, and a dog mask, but they are all too scary. Thus this monster story lessens insecurities that children may have with their appearance while reducing children's fears of the grotesque. Another way that children face their fears of hideous creatures is through fun representations of monsters.