Slippery, Spicy, Tingly: A Kimchi Mystery Review for MCBD 2025

posted on January 21, 2025 by Eve Panzer

Slippery, Spicy, Tingly: A Kimchi Mystery

Written and Illustrated by Yangsook Choi

Published by Lerner Publishing Group

When Keo’s grandmother unexpectedly visits and says she is making him SPECIAL kimchi, he expects to be eating kimchi by the end of the day. Instead, he is mystified by her strange actions – buying a huge jar, digging a massive hole in his backyard, and putting the jar in the hole. Then, cabbages fill his kitchen as they prepare it together for kimchi. Is working together what makes this kimchi SPECIAL? The next day, his grandmother is gone without a word. Where is his special kimchi?  And what is the treasure that Keo’s halmoni keeps referring to? As the story unfolds, the answer to these mysteries will be answered.

Slippery, Spicy, Tingly: A Kimchi Mystery provides an engaging, entertaining, and amusing story that introduces traditions of Korean culture, specifically the centuries-old community tradition of making kimchi.  The illustrations are playful, using warm tones to elicit a cozy feeling while adding flashes of quirky humor to the story.  The readers also get a glimpse into the special relationship between this grandmother and her grandson. The reader and Keo learn patience as they wait for the kimchi to be ready and discover what treasure truly means.

A glossary and pronunciation guide for Korean words used in the story are included at the front of the book. Endnotes provide details about the history and process of making kimchi and explain its healthy qualities.

Picture books are remarkable vehicles for teaching children important life lessons, introducing them to different cultures and human diversity, and entertaining them with captivating stories and engaging illustrations. Lerner Publishing Group’s picture book Slippery, Spicy, Tingly: A Kimchi Mystery does an outstanding job of accomplishing all of these.

Thank you to Lerner Publishing Group for providing me with a free review copy for MCBD 2025.

Book Trailer video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDSr3Xof6lE

 

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