Where on Earth Is My Bagel?

by Ginger Park and Frances Park

Book Overview

Even though Yum Yung lives in Korea, the idea of a New York bagel just pops into his head one day, and he decides he just has to have one. Yum Yung's search begins at the highest mountaintop in Korea, where he finds a pigeon to take his message to New York. "I would like to order one bagel to go." After a long wait and no bagel, Yum Yung asks his friends (the farmer, the fisherman, the beekeeper, and the baker) for help. Their creative solution will...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1584300337
• ISBN13: 9781584300335
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.8" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

A Delicious Tale

This is the story of Yum Yung in Korea. One day, for some unknown reason, he decides he would like a New York bagel. He send a pigeon with a message to New York to order one bagel to go. When the bagel does not show up right away, Yum Yung decides that he must search for it.Yum Yung encounters a farmer, a fisherman, a beekeeper, and a baker while searching, but to no avail until suddenly everything comes together and the whole cast gets the chance to enjoy a fresh-baked bagel.A truly fun story told in just the right way for young readers (repetitive language, etc.). After reading the book, go back to the start and you will notice that while Yum Tung is dreaming of his bagel, all the settings of the story are visible from his hilltop.The only downside in the book is in the opening illustration that seems to place Korea in the vicinity of France or Spain (East and a little south of New York). Considering the obvious care in the rest of the illustrations I found this rather unusual. But this should not detract from this story of a young boy who has a dream and sets out to make it a reality.

Beautiful

This book contains all of the perfect elements that make a good children's book. It has imajination as the impossible happens. It has repition as the same conversation happens as the main character meets new people. Children just love this as they can predict what is going to happen and can follow along easier. It ends by using parts gleaned from the rest of the story binding it together beautifully. The wonderful solid structure of an absolutely perfect children's book. Beautiful

creating a bagel!

a delightfully simple book with a multi-cultural theme (korea and the usa)...about a little boy in korea wishing for a bagel (which he had never seen nor tasted) and how his community helped to create one and to share in its eating! very well-illustrated and written to be read over and over again.

Beautifully illustrated book

Lots of vibrant colours and a variety of interesting things on each page that hold my 2 year old's interest as I read her the simple,whimsical, and fun story that lends itself to the expansion of the child's mind and imagination. One of the better children's books out there.

Cultural imperialism? no, just the desire for a nice treat

Dear New York, I would like to order one bagel to go. Please send it to me as soon as possible. Respectfully yours, Yum Yung in KoreaDid Yum Yung dream of cream cheese and a bagel? Did he hear Central Park sparrows twitter about bagel crumbs? Why would he desire a NY bagel? Yum Yung lives in a part of Korea where there are many things, lilacs and waterfalls, streams of daring fish, but no New York bagels. But he knows he must have one. Yum Yung is obsessed with the idea of a bagel. He declares, "I want a bagel!" He sends a message from his Korean village via pigeon to New York City for someone to send him one. As he waits, he asks some locals for help: a farmer, fisherman, and a honeybee keeper. They know their trades and crafts well, but none of them have ever heard of the elusive, holed bagel. A bagel is not a round plow wheel, a salty round life saving ring, or a circle of honey bees. Hmmm, Yum Yung knows just where to get flour, sea salt, and honey. He runs for the Heavenly Bakery, and the pigeon returns from across the ocean, sans bagel, but with a recipe. The baker gets the required ingredients from the boy's new friends and they all make one huge bagel. Bagel shapes abound, including a full moon with a the hole in the middle.