No Kimchi For Me!

July 3, 2017
Yoomi, a small black and white cat, enjoys most of her grandmother’s cooking—“dried seaweed, tiny anchovies, soft egg omelets... even her seasoned bean sprouts”—with one exception: “Yoomi does not like stinky spicy kimchi!” Older brothers Jun and Yoon label Yoomi a baby and freeze her out of playing with them; Yoomi takes matters into her own paws, trying dollops of kimchi atop pizza and ice cream, but Grandma swoops in with a better idea: a not-too-spicy kimchi pancake. Using pencil, pastel, and digital manipulation, Kim (Cat on the Bus) creates a crisp and cozy domestic environment for her cat family; the story takes place against the backdrop of a rainy day, perhaps accounting for some of the high-running emotions. Yoomi’s brothers’ taunts and the specificity of her food aversion will be familiar to many readers (especially younger siblings), as will Yoomi’s drive to prove that she’s the “big girl” Grandma knows her to be. A kimchi pancake recipe is included, as are delectable endpapers showcasing kimchi varieties and ingredients. Ages 3–7. Agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary Studio.

Starred review from September 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Their grandmother announces lunch featuring delicious Korean dishes while Yoomi and her brothers play. Yoomi enjoys grandma's dried seaweed, soft egg omelets, and even the seasoned bean sprouts, but she does not like "stinky spicy kimchi!" Her older brothers, Jun and Yoon, won't let her play with them because she's too little; "big kids eat kimchi." Despite trying various ways to mask kimchi-like on pizza or over ice cream-it is the kimchi pancakes that the child and her grandmother make together that delight Yoomi. They are delicious, enjoyed by all, and elevate Yoomi to big-kid status. The Korean family is depicted as personified cats reminiscent of the feline in Kim's first picture book, Cat on the Bus. Illustrations created in pastel and colored pencil are detailed but uncluttered, expressive, and childlike. In addition to a recipe for kimchi pancakes, beginning endpapers depict the vegetables from which kimchi is made while closing endpapers show different-plated kimchi. VERDICT This fun and engaging story about food, family, and tradition is broadly appealing as a read-aloud or read-alone selection..-Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2017
A young Korean girl finds a way to enjoy a traditional dish.Yoomi, her brothers, and their grandmother are anthropomorphic cats. On a rainy day, Grandma calls the children down for lunch. Yoomi likes most foods that Grandma prepares, but she just doesn't care for kimchi. Her older siblings use this against her, calling her a "baby" and excluding her from their after-lunch activities. Yoomi tries on her own to find a combination of foods that will make the spicy, fermented dish palatable, but cookies, pizza, and ice cream don't do the trick. Grandma's solution is to prepare a (savory) kimchi pancake; the author's mother's recipe for this delicacy is appended. Kim's straightforward text conveys the actions and reactions of her characters clearly. The illustrations, created with pencil, colored pencils, and pastels on paper, then assembled digitally, vary in size and placement, adding interest and flow to the story. Distinctive patterns, unusual perspectives, and intriguing details add to their appeal. While the featured food may be unfamiliar to some listeners, the family dynamics will ring true. The final page, complete with a rainbow, may cast a more rosy than realistic light on the resolution of typical sibling squabbles, but readers, like Yoomi, will appreciate this minor triumph. This brisk, bright family story effectively conveys a universal experience through a very specific cultural lens. (Picture book. 3-7)

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January 1, 2018
Cat Yoomi hates the taste and smell of spicy kimchi, and her big brothers tease her for being a baby. Then Grandma comes up with a delicious way to serve the dish to her granddaughter. The simply worded story features beautifully detailed illustrations of Korean dishes, including kimchi. A recipe for making kimchi pancakes is appended.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)