From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2—This could have been just another story about a child adjusting to a new baby in the family. Instead, its Korean-American perspective and mixed-media collage illustrations set the title apart. A big sister lists things that babies don't know and cannot do, beginning with the foods they cannot eat. A note on the CIP page defines kimchee and its ingredients. Although the characters are of Korean heritage, the ideas are universal. What the older girl can do now, she will teach her sibling later—to dance, dress up, draw animals, eat ice cream, swing, whisper early in the morning before anyone else is awake. "And eat kimchee, if we want to." The older child even shows patience when she tries to teach the baby to sing before she is ready, resulting in a full-spread picture of the baby crying, her mouth wide and surrounded by angry lines in fiery colors. All of the pages feature realistic chalk and oil-pastel drawings on a background of textured-paper collage. The illustrations use just the right colors and lines to capture the children's changing emotions. Short enough to read aloud and detailed enough to engage the eye over multiple independent or one-on-one readings, this book is a welcome addition to an overpopulated field.—
Julie Ranelli, Kent Island Branch Library, Stevensville, MD Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
An older Korean American sister lists many of the things her baby sister cannot eat, starting with kimchee. She also mentions a few of her favorite activities, such as dancing and drawing, that babies cannot do "because they're very little" and looks forward to the day when she can share these pleasures with her sister. From irritation with a younger sibling to wistful daydreaming, the spare narrative is true to a child's perspective. Illustrations rendered in collage, ink drawings, and oil pastels portray an energetic older preschool sister whose emotions range from disgust to tenderness. An upbeat "new baby" title, this Korean American family story is also good for storytimes and multicultural units.
Linda PerkinsCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
