Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Ho Baek Lee (Clarion, 2005). An exuberant, rhyming picture book told from the perspective of a hungry young girl during her family’s preparations to eat bee-bim bop (rice topped with vegetables and meat or “mix-mix rice”) for dinner. Lee’s illustrations are warm and add humor, especially in their depictions of the family dog. A recipe with directions for “you” (the child reader) and a grown-up are included as is an author’s note that features a lovely photo of the author with her niece and nephew to whom the book is dedicated. “Hurry, family, hurry…Gotta hop hop hop…Dinner’s on the table…and it’s BEE-BIM BOP!” Ages 3-up.

More Thoughts on Bee-bim Bop!

The author’s bio on the back flap notes that Linda Sue Park has worked as a food journalist and won cooking contests.

The illustrator’s bio notes that Ho Baek Lee lives in Seoul–making this a Korean-American meets Korean crafted book, which is delightfully international and appropriate.

This picture book made me sing the words, laugh, and hungry! I’m definitely trying bee-bim bop soon!

Other Recent Picture Book Recommendations: The Good Rainbow Road/Rawa ‘Kashtyaa’tsi Hiyaani by Simon J. Ortiz, illustrated by Michael Lacapa (The University of Arizona Press, 2004), Buddy: The Story Of Buddy Holly by Anne Bustard (Simon & Schuster, 2005)(link features interview with author); Hotel Deep: Light Verse From Dark Water by Kurt Cyrus (Harcourt, 2005); Searching For Oliver K. Woodman by Darcy Pattison, illustrated by Joe Cepeda (Harcourt, 2005); Looking For Uncle Louie On The Fourth Of July by Kathy Whitehead, illustrated by Pablo Torrecilla (Boyds Mills Press, 2005); Night Wonders by Jane Peddicord (Charlesbridge, 2005); Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Joy Fisher Hein (HarperCollins, 2005)(link features interview with author and illustrator); Once Upon A Cool Motorcycle Dude written and illustrated by Kevin O’Malley, illustrated by Carol Heyer, illustrated by Scott Goto (Walker, 2005); Houdini: World’s Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Walker, 2005); and It Is The Wind by Ferida Wolff, illustrated by James Ransome (HarperCollins, 2005).

Cynsational News & Links

AuthorSchoolGig.com: “a fully searchable website of talented authors, illustrators, storytellers, musicians and entertainers such as magicians and clowns who specialize in presentations to grades Pre-K through 12.” Very new (still under construction) but beautifully designed site. Perhaps bookmark for further investigation.

BookConnector: “connects authors and publishers with people and resources that promote your manuscript. We intelligently match your book’s characteristics with our large database of reviewers, review sites, book clubs, and reading venues.” Note: I haven’t tried this yet myself as you have to be a member, and I haven’t registered.

KidMagWriters.com has posted its July issue. The staff is celebrating by giving away a free e-book, filled with articles from its first year. New articles focus on writing for testing companies, speaking at schools before you’re published, creating a Web site before you’re published, and writing poetry.

Congrats to my husband, Greg Leitich Smith. Yesterday was the official release date of his new novel, Tofu and T. rex (Little Brown, 2005) as well as the paperback edition of his debut novel, Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo (Little Brown, 2005).