Cover of Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed, illustrated by Anoosha Syed. It features three children smiling as Bilal holds a pot of daal, with one friend adding an ingredient and another holding a spice jar. A silver award medal is placed on the cover.

Bilal Cooks Daal

Written by Aisha Saeed

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?

A person with dark curly hair drinking from a bowl, with the word 'slurp!' written nearby.

awards

Green star-shaped badge with no text.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019

A green starburst shape with multiple points.

An Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book 2019

Green star-shaped graphic with multiple points.

Featured in The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art exhibit Asians, Everyday.

Pattern of red tulips and white flowers with yellow centers against a yellow-green background.
Pattern of red tulips and white flowers with orange centers on a yellow background.
Pattern of red tulips and white flowers with orange centers on a yellow background.
Pattern of red tulips and white flowers with yellow centers on a yellow background.
Pattern of red tulips and white flowers with yellow centers, green leaves, on a yellow background.
Repeating pattern of red and orange tulips and white flowers with yellow centers on a yellow background.
Animated illustration of a blue pot with food boiling over, with yellow steam and colorful garnishes visible.

“A quietly radical, eminently delightful book.”

–kirkus reviews ★ starred review ★

“Refreshingly innovative...a lovely picture-book debut.”

–Booklist

“The illustrations are charming and the facial expressions of the children are endearing. The recipe itself, diversity of the characters, and the father taking on the role as a cook and enlisting his son to help prepare dinner are interwoven themes that make this book perfect for reading discussions among preschoolers.”

–school library journal

Simple drawing of stars, circles, and asterisks on a gold background.
Pattern of stylized red tulips and white flowers with orange centers on a yellowish background.
A horizontal row of eight colorfully illustrated flowers against a yellow background, including red tulips and white daisies with yellow centers.
Pattern of red and white flowers with green leaves on a yellow background.
Pattern of red tulips and white flowers with yellow centers on a yellow background.
Pattern of stylized red tulips and white daisies with yellow centers on a yellow background.
A repeating pattern of red tulips and white daisies with orange centers on a light yellow background.

Peek Inside

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