Binna's dalgona

Yummy desserts help a child make a breakthrough in communication. Korean immigrant Binna feels like a grown-up at last: The young narrator made dalgona--a beloved sugary treat--without the help of Unnie (Korean for "older sister"). Eager to share the news, Binna arrives at school to find the other students discussing the delicious foods they prepared this weekend. Binna, who's still mastering English, suddenly feels overwhelmed, and a flurry of dialogue bubbles pop up as the kids pepper Binna with questions. Using expressionistic artwork marked by visual metaphors, Kim-McCarthy cleverly captures the protagonist's difficulties. Crossed-out words and arrows in Binna's speech bubbles convey the child's confusion. Finally, the dejected Binna collapses as a giant, fiery dialogue bubble covered in scribbles looms. Back at home, Unnie defuses Binna's frustration. The images transition to more soothing tones as the two whip up another batch of dalgona, which reminds Binna "of all the times when I tried something new, something uncomfortable." And Binna eventually makes progress, inviting friends over to enjoy dalgona and becoming more comfortable with English. Keenly aware of the challenges many young immigrants confront, Kim-McCarthy makes clear that even seemingly small snafus can take a great emotional toll. The narrative comes to a satisfying conclusion as Binna confides, "One day, I might not miss home as much. Because this is my home now." A delightfully gentle tale of navigating language barriers.(Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.