Bee-Bim Bop!
by Linda Sue Park (Author) Ho Baek Lee (Illustrator)
In bouncy rhyming text, a hungry child tells about helping her mother make bee-bim bop: shopping, preparing ingredients, setting the table, and finally sitting down with her family to enjoy a favorite meal. The energy and enthusiasm of the young narrator are conveyed in the whimsical illustrations, which bring details from the artist’s childhood in Korea to his depiction of a modern Korean American family. Even young readers who aren’t familiar with the dish will recognize the pride that comes from helping Mama, the fun of mixing ingredients together in a bowl, and the pleasure of sharing delicious food. Includes author’s own recipe.
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School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 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, cartoon-like 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 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Publishers Weekly
The title refers to a dish of rice, egg strips, vegetables and meat that's a staple of Korean family life - and it's a lot of fun to eat, too, because diners get to mix the parts together themselves right at the table. (The words in Korean mean, loosely, "mix-mix rice.") The title also inspires some bouncy rhymes from Park (A Single Shard ), and loving depictions of the joys of being mom's sous-chef from South Korean artist Lee. First, the necessary supplies are laid in: "Hurry, Mama, hurry/ Gotta shop shop shop!/ Hungry hungry hungry/ for some bee-bim bop! " A flurry of rice-making, chopping and frying follows. The entire family, including a grandmother in traditional dress, gathers to say grace and dig in: "Rice goes in the middle/ Egg goes right on top / Mix it! / Mix like crazy! / Time for bee-bim bop! " Lee's characterizations don't have much texture or depth, but he does a terrific job of framing the kitchen activity from a variety of angles, so that every scene bubbles with fun and anticipation (he also frequently crops Mama at the shoulders, to keep the focus on the eager, helpful narrator). The mood is so unabashedly happy and Park's text is so catchy that any grown-up reading this book aloud should anticipate a demand to make the detailed, kid-friendly recipe for Bee-Bim Bop on the final spread. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)
Copyright 2005 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.
Review quotes
Cookery, Korean
Koreans
