Bilal Cooks Daal

Written by Aisha Saeed · Illustrated by Anoosha Syed

A young boy helps his father cook a traditional meal for dinner.

5.0/7 Bookroo expert·4.3/5 Goodreads · 1,336 ratings

40 pages· 658 words· Est. 6 min read-aloud· AD520L

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Six-year-old Bilal is eager to share his favorite dish, daal, with his friends. As the lentils simmer, more kids gather, curious about the South Asian delicacy. Bilal's excitement turns to worry—will they enjoy it as much as he does? This heartwarming tale explores patience, teamwork, and the joy of sharing cultural traditions, bringing a community together through food.

From the publisher

Six-year-old Bilal introduces his friends to his favorite dish—daal!—in this charming picture book that showcases the value of patience, teamwork, community, and sharing. Six-year-old Bilal is excited to help his dad make his favorite food of all-time: daal! The slow-cooked lentil dish from South Asia requires lots of ingredients and a whole lot of waiting. Bilal wants to introduce his friends to daal. They’ve never tried it! As the day goes on, the daal continues to simmer, and more kids join Bilal and his family, waiting to try the tasty dish. And as time passes, Bilal begins to wonder: Will his friends like it as much as he does? This debut picture book by Aisha Saeed, with charming illustrations by Anoosha Syed, uses food as a means of bringing a community together to share in each other’s family traditions.

Awards

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor (2020)

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Words: 658
Reading age: 4–8
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD520L

Themes & topics

Books about being different Books about diversity Books about culture Books about cooking Books about family

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.0

out of 7

5.0

“This is a great book to help introduce kids to new cuisine, and the idea that even though some food (or something else) may be foreign to them, and even initially seem or smell a bit funny or different... it might actually be delicious. The twinges of anxiety that Bilal feels about how his friends will react to the daal (will they like it as much as he does?!) give us a chance to feel empathy for those who are different than us as well.”

Marmee

Trusted reviewer

The author