Bee-bim Bop!

by Linda Sue Park, Ho Baek Lee (Illustrator)

Overview

A Korean American girl celebrates food and family in this cheerful book about cooking a special meal by Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park.

In bouncy rhyming text, an excited and 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780618265114
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/12/2005
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	239,130
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.62(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal winner for A Single Shard and #1 New York Times bestseller for A Long Walk to Water, is the renowned author of picture books and novels for young readers. She lives in Western New York. Learn more at lindasuepark.com.

Editorial Reviews

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 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

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, 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 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Even so fine a writer as Park cannot resist the whole bouncy-rhyming thing. This one, however, does have vivacity and charm, as a small girl helps her mother purchase, prepare and serve her favorite meal. Bee-bim bop is a Korean dish, and every family has their own version. Illustrations come from a child's eye point of view: Eggs are fried, rice is steamed, vegetables and meat are thinly sliced and all proceeds apace even when the child manages to spill and clean up-with the help of the dog-a bit of cooking liquid. Park includes a complete recipe and an author's note about "mix-mix rice," which is a loose translation. Lee's clear watercolors depict food and kitchenware, Grandma wearing Korean dress and the dog hovering, often mimicking the child's activities. Expect hordes of young ones prancing about asking for "Hungry-in a hurry / for some BEE-BIM BOP! (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

"Bouncy rhymes . . . and loving depictions of the joys of being mom's sous-chef . . . unabashedly happy and . . . catchy." — Publishers Weekly

"Bouncy-rhyming . . . vivacity and charm . . . from a child's-eye point of view."

— Kirkus Reviews

"Park captures the exciting rush of dinnertime preparations...Lee's watercolors extend the flurry of activity, humor, and delight." — Booklist

"Expressive, child's-eye watercolors get in on all the activity...in this celebration of a well-loved cultural dish." — Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher