Binna's Dalgona

Binna is excited since she isn’t a baby anymore; she can read longer books in English, can beat her sister at word games, and she’s finally old enough to make dalgona by herself. She can’t wait to tell her classmates about what she did this past weekend, but when she tries, she struggles with her English. Binna looks to her sister for help, and with her encouragement and her friend’s support, she’s able to find the right words to share this sweet treat with her friends and share about what her life was like in Korea.

What I Liked: This book begins by introducing you to Binna, who is super excited because she can now try to make Dalgona on her own. By the expression on her sister’s face, it seems that this first attempt didn’t come out as planned. The illustrations throughout this book do a fantastic job of including small details, especially when explaining the process of making Dalgona, such as the stamp of a shape and how you can try to get the shape out without breaking the item.

This book does a fantastic job of showcasing a child’s feelings when learning a new language and how isolating this experience can be. This book also highlights how helpful it is to be encouraged when learning a new language and having others be patient as you try to explain things to them. This book does a great job of showing children’s excitement as Binna shares this new Korean treat with her friends and also shares about her experience.

Final Verdict: Binna’s Dalgona is a sweet, colorful book that introduces children to a new Korean sweet treat. This book is great for encouraging children who might be hesitant to speak because English is their second language, and to show other children how to be patient with others who are having a harder time with their words. This is also a great book to use to introduce a new culture to children, especially if they are fans of Squid Games or K-pop Demon Hunters.