Bee-bim Bop!: A Lively Family Story About Cooking Together for Children (Ages 4–8)

Such a cute book!

Remember when you were a kid and your mama made your favorite meal? You would smell it cooking and just could not wait? Well, hang on, it's time for Bee-bim bop! The little girl is part of the meal preparation from beginning to end. That is why she can sing a multitude of variations of "Hurry, hurry."Instead of waiting on the sidelines or in the den, Linda Sue Park pulls the reader along with the child and mother in this adventure in shopping, preparing, cooking, and eating Bee-bim bop, a favorite Korean dish. Ho Baek Lee, the illustrator, creates large strides in the grocery store, crazy whirlwind angles, close-ups of the girl and her dog, a colorful focus on the areas near the girl and grayed, incomplete portrayals of distant areas in the kitchen.All in all, Park features the little girl in this hurried, practiced look at Bee-bim bop preparation. In fact, mother's head sits invisibly above the picture line in most of the illustrations, which show her cooking. Why? The book is a first-person narration of the girl's excitement and an almost dizzying anticipation of a favorite dish. "Hurry, hurry, hurry," she says in many variations. It is a wonderful thing that Park gives the girl such an understanding and calm mother.In fact, this book is as much about family as it is about cooking a specific dish. The mother seems to encourage the girl's participation instead of grumpily ordering her from underfoot. As the dog mirrors the girl's every movement, she, too, is allowed her place in the story. When the food is ready, the rest of the family immediately and respectfully appear instead of of being cajoled to the dining area. And lastly, the family immediately says grace instead of being reminded.The family has an easy, settled routine. Everyone cooperates in serving, there is smiling all around. Grandmother wears a traditional Korean garment, and the prayer indicates a cohesion and unity of family through love. It is the family portrayal that makes this story so significant. Yes, the reader is presented with the fun and excitement of a favorite meal, but the display of connected family members is the crux of the story, intentionally or inadvertently. Park and Lee depict the happy family.Two more things particularly merit attention. A detailed recipe follows the story, making it an exciting possibility for cooks and little helpers to try at home. As one more piece of the puzzle of family togetherness,Park also includes a picture of herself and a niece and nephew helping her prepare Bee-bim bop.This book is such a winner in many ways. Highly recommended!

Love this book!!

Cute story and illustrations

I bought this for my half Korean granddaughter’s first birthday. I was so thrilled to find it in Amazon as I have loved being introduced to Korean food over the years. The illustrations are fun and the text has a nice rhythm and flow. I too, like others who have commented, fe,t the page on saying grace was out of place, but no big deal. Some families do and that’s ok to acknowledge it or just skip that page if it bothers you. I had hopes it would be a great book to go with my other gifts for her her birthday and I think it will become a favorite in their house.

Such a cute rhyming story. I love reading this book to my toddler and they love listening to it. It’s a beautiful way to introduce other cultures and foods. Highly recommend for a fun read!

I bought this for my grandchildren, who's mom is Korean. I'm going to visit them later this week and will try the recipe for Bee-bim Bop with the oldest, 4 year old grandson. We'll see how it turns out!

I love the bouncy and happy rhythm of the book, and so does my 2 year old. Well-written tribute to Korean culture. Would definitely recommend.