Bee-bim bop!, paperback/linda sue park

Bee-bim bop (the name translates as mix-mix rice) is a traditional Korean dish of rice topped, and then mixed, with meat and vegetables.

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.