Bilal Cooks Daal

by Aisha Saeed, Anoosha Syed (Illustrator)

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.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Friendship, Childrens, Cooking, Family, Cultural

40 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2019

Reviews

[Aisha Saeed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey all-- I wanted to pop over here and share the inspiration for this book with all of you! When my middle son was two (he's 6 now), his teacher at his preschool asked the kids to share their favorite foods. He came home baffled because no one knew what daal was. I sent him to school the next day with daal for the kids to try and dry lentils as well for the kids to touch and feel. He was so proud and happy to share a part of his life with his classmates and from that this story was born. Over a billion people eat daal as a staple food around the world-- its vegan, healthy, and delicious (and there's a recipe in the back too!) It means a lot to me for my kids and kids like him to be represented in literature and for others to learn about a delicious meal enjoyed by over a billion people around the world. Hope you enjoy it. :) xx Aisha

[Elora K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something that my sister and I have been STRUGGLING to find is South Asian picture books that don’t focus on religion. When we find the rare book that doesn’t, it ends up focusing on a negative aspect of our cultures—which like, sure, these books will help some kids, there’s always a need for them. But the religious-focused ones always feel like they’re A Lesson To White Kids about diversity (especially with so many art styles that seem like they’re influence by Islamic Art). The other set are issues that feel like a “how to be brown in the diaspora” primer about tough things you’re gonna face.

We just wanted a nice, happy, chill book that features a brown kid doing cool things. If it happened to feature an element of brown culture, even better. LET ME SEE MYSELF SIMPLY EXIST WITH NO DETRIMENTS.

This book is the ONLY one we’ve read that fits everything we wanted. It’s about a brown kid—one that could be from any number of South Asian cultures. It doesn’t mention religion. But it’s about a specific, IMPORTANT aspect of culture: a staple food. It has diversity in the other kids who make up Bilal’s friends, and it’s so nice too that Bilal’s abu makes the food. The one quick scene where Bilal gets hurt by friends wondering how weird the daal’s gonna be is even on point—it’s there bc it can and DOES happen often, but brushed past bc the focus is on the important thing: how delicious daal is, and sharing it with friends. (They learn bc YAH DAAL ROCKS.)

The art style is also SO. DARN. CUTE.

Is the daal they make my exact kind of daal? No. But it’s the dang closest thing I’ve gotten to a perfect book for a South Asian kid that doesn’t make me feel bad or put on a spotlight about how different growing up can be.

Also, my nearly-4-year-old niece sat through reading it, multiple times. Considering she’s not a huge reading fanatic (I will get her YET), that’s a huge win.

Okay essay over, I’m gonna go learn how to make my ammu’s daal now.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I appreciate about these creatively illustrated picture books, is that they teach. They provide an opportunity to introduce kids/families to foods that might be different than what they would normally eat!

And…

That is the beauty of diversity!

What is daal?

Dried and often split legumes, especially lentils or peas. It can also be a sauce or dish made from cooked lentils and spices, common in South Asian cuisine.

And…

Daal is also considered a vegetarian stew.

The author shares that it is a staple food in South Asia, including Pakistan, where the character Bilal’s grandparents grew up.

In this story, Bilal introduces his friends to daal and shows them how it feels and tastes, and the ways of cooking it.

At first…

It feels foreign to his friends.

But…

As they wait and play…

They come to appreciate a home-cooked meal…

Especially having the experience of being a part of making it.

Community. Friendship. Cooking. New-found tastes.

There is also a recipe at the back of the book which provides a wonderful experience for parents and kids to participate together in.

Interest Level: Kindergarten – 3rd grade

I would like to share that this is one of six books that I won as part of the Little Free Library organization partnership with Simon & Schuster food-themed picture book bundle.

I am excited to include this beautifully illustrated book in my Little Free Library Shed and appreciate this gift to our neighborhood.

[Tova · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was ridiculously cute and my stomach is growling with the desire for some daal. RTC

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HOW PRECIOUS IS THIS COVER? Too precious for words. I CANNOT wait to read about Bilal and his daal. I never thought I'd be putting a picture book on my most anticipated releases list, but here I am, doing that very thing. I would read anything Aisha Saeed writes, I do not care about the genre or age range.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

We adored this book, and tonight my four-year-old is going to help me cook daal using the recipe from the book. His idea.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book rules. The text is about Bilal preparing daal for his family & friends, and about the patience required to make a long-cooking food. The illustrations are so lovely and there's a recipe in the back! My friend is always sending me snaps when she's cooking with her 3 year old, and patience is quite a challenge! I think they (and everyone) would love this story.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bilal teaches his pals patience, and the enjoyment of "slow food."

With darling, insanely colorful illustrations by Anoosha Syed.

[Chance Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delicious story about patience, friendship, and overcoming nervousness that comes from teaching friends about your culture -- or anything different that they haven't experienced before. Great artwork. I love the way all the spices and flavors hover behind the pictures.

[Annapoorni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books in which food plays an important role; what about you? What's your fav book that fits this?

Food is such a great way of bringing diverse communities together. And when you break bread with someone, a special bond ia formed.
Within its few pages, @aishacs has managed to express beautifully these themes, while also voicing doubts about being different and about inclusion in the book #BilalCooksDaal
Did I add, that the book also has activities and a daal recipe???
The fabulous illustrations are by @foxville_art
A beautiful #ChildrensBook that's definitely a 5⭐ read for me.


#WeNeedDiverseBooks

[Claire Wrobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the illustrations and the descriptions of daal. So glad they included a recipe at the end, because now I definitely want to try it!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about patience, friendship, and sharing culture. PLUS A RECIPE!

[Keisha Rembert · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the beginning of this picture book to the end, there are elements of familiarity alongside something new. Bilal and his friends outside riding their bikes is a familiar scene of childhood juxtaposed to him cooking with his father which is a less common scene in picture books. It is one of the endearing qualities of this book. The illustrations are another. They remind me of the picture books of my era with wide-eyed children in muted tones.

Bridging similarities and differences, this book highlights the need for young children to be patient, to try new things and while highlighting an Indian food staple. While this book clearly centers culture, it does so subtly--not highlighting the cultural difference of Bilal and his friends but rather showcasing relationships first and weaving in culture through the daal. I love the subtle centering of Bilal as any other kid, and appreciate the text not requiring him to assimilate or forgo his culture. The illustrations do, however, represent all the friends the same except for skin tones (same facial features, hair, etc), and I wonder about the intent and impact of this decision.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asian/Pacific American Award Honor Book for Picture Book (2020)

A cute book, but as I read and looked at the story, I couldn't help but wonder if young children know what daal is. Still kids are often more accepting and less skeptical than adults. I was glad to see an explanation and even a recipe for daal at the end of this book.

Well Done!

[Shagufta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are everything. I love this story.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book and now I can't wait to make Daal (I've already bought the ingredients).

[Jennifer Bacall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aisha Saeed is no stranger to writing. Her first book Written in the Stars is a lyrical and lovely young adult book about one girl’s struggles between honoring her family traditions and following the future that she wants for herself. Her second title, Amal Unbound, received critical acclaim and was on dozens of top books of the year lists.

July saw the release of Ms. Saeed’s first picture book, Bilal Cooks Daal and it is a delight.

Bilal cooks daal

Bilal’s friends have never heard of his favorite food before. So his family invites them in and they experience the smells, flavors, and colors while they prepare the meal together.

The text is concise and sweet, and the illustrations with bright colors and playful shapes and backgrounds swirl into an endearing story. Celebrating friendship, empathy, sharing and the joy of eating, this book is a delight for kids of all ages but is geared for children from four to eight years old. The steps of respectfully entering someone’s home and preparing for a meal are playfully included with the simple text, “They take off their shoes. They wash their hands.” The kids learn that even though the colors, names, and smells of the ingredients are not familiar to them, they enjoy the food.

Bilal Cooks Daal ends with an Author’s Note describing Daal in more detail and includes a recipe. This joyful book would make the perfect addition to any library, school or family book collection. It’s one of my favorite picture book releases of the year.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bilal and his friends help Bilal's dad make daal, Bilal's favorite dish. His friends have no clue what daal is. They prepare it in the morning and then spend all day playing, continually wondering when it will be done so they can try it. One thing they learn is that daal takes time. Will the wait be worth it? Bilal is a little nervous about whether or not his friends will like his favorite dish.

Sharing things near and dear to you that are foreign to others can be a very vulnerable experience. I like that Bilal is willing to take that risk and share his favorite dish with his friends, even if it contains flavors they may not be used to. They all learn a little lesson on patience too, and readers get to enjoy watching the kids have fun together playing outside (no technology necessary). The illustrations are bright and cheery. And readers get to be introduced to a possibly new food along with Bilal's friends. There's a recipe in the back and a note that daal is a dish made with lentils, of which there are many varieties. A great multicultural read recommended to little foodies and kids wanting to learn more about Pakistani American culture.

[Yamina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bilal Cooks Daal
The title of the book made me attracted towards the book because Daal. Daal is an Urdu word and is a type of grain dish which Indian and Pakistani cultures cook. Therefore, this book is multicultural. In this book the father cooks Daal along with his son and his friends. Unlike American food, this food take hours to cook which teaches patience. All his friends from American culture that never tried Daal before liked Daal. From this book, the reader can easily understand about cultural foods and how food is cooked in different cultures.
This is not an award-winning book but it’s written by an author of color. This book relates with my students, as most of the students are from Indian and Pakistani cultures. Therefore, I got this book and recommend it to other people so it can to be mirror to some students and a reflection to others. At the end of the book, there is a recipe of Daal. This book teaches how different the ingredients, recipes and cooking time can be for different ethnic foods. This book would be a great way for children to write recipes as well as sequencing of what comes first, second and so forth.

[Karly Grice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Syed's illustrations are adorable and I adore the representation of fathers cooking (it's so sad to me that that's a thing that needs more representation, but it is). The illustrations also add really lovely fluid integration of cultural consciousness in ways that aren't heavily othered as they might be in some stories (I'm specifically thinking of the way removing your shoes before entering a house was seamlessly incorporated. The star off (maybe a star and a half?) is because I often find rhyming kind of forced in many children's picture books, especially with authors who are more familiar with writing for older audiences. The title refrain was cute and fit, but there were just a handful of moments when the rhyming in the sentences felt forced, especially since it wasn't otherwise a regularly rhyming narrative. I want to stress that this is entirely a personal pet peeve of mine; it's still a lovely book, but I just wish more newer children's authors wouldn't approach the texts as needing rhyming to be interesting to kids or fitting the genre.

[Emily Kraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bilal is a young boy who invites friends over to cook one of his favorite meals, daal. At first he is worried because his friends are skeptical of the smells and colors of the dish. Eventually, the dish comes together and everyone loves it. The food is delicious, but the best part of daal is sharing it with friends. This book is intended for readers in about grades 1-3. This book may appeal to readers who are starting to learn about different cultures and foods. I chose this book for my classroom library because the story highlights Bilal's pride in his own culture. The story teaches to embrace your own culture and to celebrate others' cultures. Key themes and topics of this book include: traditions, South Asian cuisine, pride, heritage, sharing, patience, friendship, and family.

[Aleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was mentioned in a webinar about book challenges and bans, and I decided to read it for myself.

Bilal, a child, tells his friends about daal. Kids pick which color lentil to cook, and all help Abu prepare daal. Abu sends kids to play while daal cooks, because it takes time (and some patience). They all eat the daal, and it is yummy. Bilal is happy.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. The only reasons I can fathom to challenge this book are
1) you hate daal and all things lentil, or
2) you can't stand the idea of people with different skin tones enjoying a meal together.

[Mohamed Anees · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so jealous of but also happy that young toddlers and children are growing upmwith picture books or chapter books that have stories that they can identify with and see themselves in and relate to. Now that there are authors like Aisha Saaed pushing for more diverse books and others putting out books that have characters and words that kids of immigrants can relate to, is such a refreshing and hopeful sign. Can't wait to get my children (who don't exist yet lol) similar books.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am such a sucker for a good book about cooking food. In this one Bilal introduces his friends to the patient processes of cooking traditional daal. I love that the need to wait is repeated. I love that it’s a dad helping them cook. I love that this is the story of a child sharing a portion of his culture with friends. And I love that the recipe is included in the back because I am not officially hungry.

[Emily Bremer]

Bilal Cooks Daal is a story that follows Bilal and his friends as they cook daal. As they wait for it to cook, Bilal shares stories about his family and learns that good things take time. I will use this book in my future classroom to teach students about community and cultural traditions. After reading, we can talk about foods that are special to our families and make a class recipe book of all our favorite meals.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six year old Bilal invites his friends to join him and his father as they prepared his favorite dish, a slow-cooked dish lentil dish from South Asia. The dish takes a while to cook, and more of his friends join in play together as the dish cooks. Once prepared everyone gathers to enjoy it. A recipe book is located in the back of the book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bilal and his friends help Bilal's dad cook daal. It takes all day to cook so they swim and play and ask numerous times if it is ready. When it finally is ready, the friends are excited and a bit nervous to try this food that is new to them and looks and smells different. But everyone loves it and Bilal is so glad he cooked daal and shared it with his friends. Includes a recipe.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bilal Cooks Daal is going to my collection of mentor texts for realistic fiction and small moment writing for K-2 students. Kids can learn so much about using repetition and playing with the passage of time from this text.

[Pili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely book! Wonderful illustrations and very welcome diversity on showing other cultures in a natural and inclusive way, as it should be!

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up.

Bilal wants to share his favorite food with his friends, but will they have the patience?

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story about a young boy introducing his friends to daal.