Happy spring, fellow readers!  Winter is in retreat, but at least where I live, it’s not gone yet.  On the technical first day of spring, it was below freezing, and we’ve had snow a few times since (just flurries, not to worry).  Still, it’s cold out, no matter what the calendar says, and some nice warming comfort food would be just what the doctor ordered. 

Enter Bee-bim Bop!, by Linda Sue Park, a bouncy, joyful ode to one of the most delicious (in my humble opinion) of rice dishes: the Korean rice bowl known as bibimbap.

In Bee-bim Bop!, a little girl accompanies her mother to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for their family dinner – hungry hungry hungry for some BEE-BIM BOP!

When they get home, the cooking begins.  Mama chops vegetables, slices meat, and flips eggs.  And her extremely willing sous-chef volunteers to help, too.

It doesn’t go very well – oops.

Looks like Mama is running a tight ship.  You spill water, you mop it up.  I could take a lesson from Mama, since a certain little someone is always making messes in my house and not mopping them up.

Soon it’s time for the family to come to the table.  They gather together, bless their meal, and then dig in.

We first read Bee-bim Bop! during a visit to the Explore and More children’s museum in East Aurora, and I knew right away that we would love having it for our family library.  And not just because I love bibimbap (which I used to get at a fantastic Korean restaurant at D.C., and man, could I go for some bibimbap right now) but because the jaunty rhythm was just delightful.  The little girl’s obvious joy at cooking and preparing a meal with her mom is infectious, and it’s a lovely, happy ode to family dinners and to one of the most famous Korean dishes.  I am hoping to introduce my kids to food and cultural traditions from all around the world, and what better way than through a delightful book?

Have you had bibimbap?