Bilal Cooks Daal

June 9th 2019

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.

Salaam Reads | ISBN: 1534418105 | Add it to Goodreads!


Praise and Recognition for Bilal Cooks Daal

  • “A quietly radical, eminently delightful book.” — Kirkus Reviewsstarred review
  • American Library Association American Pacific Islander Literature Award honor
  • Pizza Hut Book it! Title
  • Junior library Guild Selection
  • CBC/NCSS Notable Children’s Book in Social Studies