Slippery, Spicy, Tingly: A Kimchi Mystery

A slippery, spicy tale that tingles with wit and whimsy.

Active grandmother Halmoni interrupts her busy schedule to spend time with her grandchild in this humorous culinary mystery.

K-Gr 3-Keo is surprised when his grandmother shows up one chilly morning. She lives far away and keeps busy with lots of things. But she has a surprise-treasure! She doesn't exactly explain what she's doing with a really big jar and a really big hole in the backyard. Grandma calls the whole family together to make kimchi, but Keo is too sleepy to see what happens next and is surprised when he wakes up the next morning to find Grandma gone and the hole filled in. After a month or so, Keo's mom opens Grandma's treasure and finds kimchi. This is a lovely family story about the sharing of making food together. The warm, friendly artwork is a perfect complement to the story. VERDICT A nice picture book story about a family working together to make food they all enjoy.

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission. 

A pronunciation guide at the beginning and an author’s note at the end about the seasonal practice of preparing large batches of kimchi are helpful and informative, guiding the reader gently along this lovely story about family, food, and tradition.