Bee-bim Bop!

My 2 and 3 year olds love this book and frequently choose this from our bookshelf to read together. It is upbeat with a sing-song feel, relatable, and overall a very cute book. We used the recipe provided in the book to make our own bee-bim bop and my kids thought that was fun.

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!

This book really put a smile on our face. It has a beat to the book so you can kinda sing-songy rap the way through it. We got the book for our cooking career theme. I wanted something not cookies and not pizza and not fried chicken... so this was perfect! The book also added in some Korean diversity to our book collection = ) I think toddlers and up will enjoy the book.There is a religious aspect in the book - they are shown to pray over their dinner and say amen at the end, but no depth of the religion is presented.BTW out of all the recipes that are in books, this is ONLY one I will actually cook and eat. Our family is on a strict gluten free diet so Asian food is really the best option for us. The recipe is at the back of the book for Bee-bim Bop.I also have the author's book called Firekeeper's Son which deals with overcoming temptation to do what is right. Its for slightly older kids but we really enjoyed it.

My roommate is aspiring to become a teacher, and she told me a story about her subbing for an elementary classes and had brought the book, as she read to the students they absolutely loved it. From to back. Sadly she missed placed it one day and hasn’t gone a week without telling me the story. I bought her the book and the glow it brought to her eyes was all I needed. Child need great teachers and sometimes a good book can create great joy.

It's a nice, book, but I personally don't care for the reference to prayer. If I had known I would not have purchased it.

My toddler is obsessed with this book. We bought it for her at 21 months and she has had us read it to her almost every night for three months now. She can barely talk and asks for “Bee Bim Bop” and brings this book to me. She loves the rhythm and that the little girl is helping her mom. She now completes some of the sentences. My husband and I made the Bee Bim Bop recipe and are now onto trying more Korean recipes. As a parent, I love how fun this book is to read and never get bored with it even though I have to read it every night.

I really like the catchy text. How many bouncy ways can we rhyme with bee bim bop? (A zillion, apparently.)And I liked the recipe, and the family togetherness, and the artwork. (Note: I asked around when I cooked this, as I was short a few things, and was informed that this is one of those "meh" recipes where you don't have to be exact and can add or take away as you wish. I love those!)As an atheist/agnostic I wasn't super-thrilled with the page dealing with them saying grace, however, this is what I call a "deal with it moment". Lots of people pray, it's important to a lot of people, it's important for kids to know this sort of thing, and in the context it's just not a big deal in this book. If this is the sort of thing that concerns you, you can skip over those two pages. Just, you know, tape 'em together :PAnother reviewer made some comments about how, somehow, this book will prevent your kid from talking right or something. I have NO IDEA what she's talking about. Every line of this book fits the rules of Standard American English grammar. (Even if they didn't, it's good for children to hear different ways of talking. One book will not suddenly convince your child to speak a less prestigious dialect. Children learn language from the people around them.) And the rhymes are never awkward or forced in this book. Neither is the scansion weird.

Went looking for a childrens book that featured Korean characters and people. My niece and her parents loved this book as a gift! It’s great to see more stories and art with Korean culture and characters. Thank you!

I love this book and buy it for every toddler I know. It explains the cooking process through a family oriented story, then there is a recipe at the end for you to make with your family.

I accidentally purchased this book and it is one of the happiest accidents of all time! We absolutely LOVE Bee-Bim Bop (which means mix mix rice)! My two year old asks for this book on an almost daily basis and we usually end up reading it two or three times. She loves the charming illustrations and the engaging, rhythmic storyline (and so do her parents)! This book is a perfect introduction to Korean culture and also happens to be plain old-fashioned fun! I noticed some reviewers took issue with the fact that one page in the book shows the family speaking a blessing over their meal before eating, this hardly detracts from the story and is obviously a part of the author’s own experience for which she should not be faulted. Many families say a blessing before eating, whether it be to a deity or to the earth. The back contains a recipe for Bee-Bim Bop which we plan to try very soon! Wonderful story and a worthy addition to any collection!

I love the story, and the illustrations are cute!It rhymes very well, and there's a nice, bouncy, lively tempo when reading it which is perfect for holding a young child's attention. I bought this for my 2 year old niece for Christmas, and I think she'll really enjoy it. The recipe for bibimbop in the back is a really nice touch, as well!

Fun to read! We love Korean food and our little guy loves to identify what's on the table in the book. My only complaint is that I have to skip the page about saying grace, which feels out of place in this fun book.

The illustrations are beautiful for little ones and it encourages to cook together with children along with learning food from Korea. A must have in a home library and also one you wont be tired of reading.