From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2–In the tradition of Grace Lin's
Dim Sum for Everyone! (Knopf, 2001) and
The Ugly Vegetables (Charlesbridge, 1999), Park introduces preschoolers to the culinary culture of Korea. Playful, cartoonlike drawings portray a round-faced girl helping her mother shop and prepare a delicious meal in the kitchen. The illustrations, set against a white background, are very appealing. Each spread presents a detailed and busy kitchen scene enhancing the rhyming text. The name of the dish is delightful, and children will want to chime in on Hungry hungry hungry/for some BEE-BIM BOP! and variations on the catchy refrain. The verses contain many of the preparation steps and ingredients and some readers may have difficulty keeping the rhythm, but with a bit of practice, the rhyme works well. A recipe follows the story and in the author's note, Park explains that bee-bim bop means mix-mix rice. A fine addition to any collection, this book is a terrific way to introduce Korean culture to young children.
–Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
PreS-Gr. 2. Newbery Medal-winning author Park captures the exciting rush of dinnertime preparations in this picture book about a Korean family. A little girl is thrilled about what's for dinner--the Korean dish Bee-bim Bop--and she excitedly helps her mother select groceries and prepare the meal before Papa, the baby, and Grandmother gather for a short prayer and, finally, dinner. Park's brief, bouncy, rhyming text, with the refrain, "Hungry hungry hungry / for some BEE-BIM BOP!" perfectly echoes the frenzied speed of shopping and cooking, as well as the gleeful anticipation of a favorite meal, which most kids will recognize. Lee's watercolors extend the flurry of activity, humor, and delight in uncluttered spreads, many from a child's-eye view. Step-by-step descriptions will intrigue children who love learning about the process of putting a meal together. A recipe for Bee-bim Bop, with instructions for "you" and a "grown-up," closes this cheerful offering, which will partner nicely with the books in the adjacent Read-alikes, "Kids in the Kitchen."
Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.