Bilal Cooks Daal

Thank you for writing such a wonderful book! My two year old (who looks exactly like a younger version of the protagonist) loves pourripoo (our name for dal) sooo much. He loves the ingredients, he loves watching me make it, and most of all he loves eating it. I bought this on a whim, but it's even better than I expected on so many levels. The story teaches patience (something my little boy is still working on especially when I'm cooking things he likes!), team works, family traditions, trying out new things, diversity, culture, food, cooking. I love that the aspects of diversity/culture are just normalized, no big deal was made out of it. I don't think a child has to be South Asian to get a lot from this book or even relate to it. The illustration are beautiful!!! Even the inside cover is gorgeous.. We read the book for the first time this morning, as soon as we were finished he put it in his book shelf and announced that it was his book. And then he brought out all his cooking supplies to "cook" some pourripoo. And then with lunch, while he was getting antsy while I was cooking and about to start the tantrum :), I discussed how we need to be patient like Bilal (and it seemed to help!). And it's only the afternoon and I've read it 6 times on his request. Also the part about the dad and his ammi brings tears to my eyes as one of my favorite parts about food how it's a way to keep that family connection and love. I was always afraid of being different growing up so I love how the book subtle address that too, and I love how his friends in the end (of course) love the end product and worked together to make it happen.

Who knows what daal is? I'm sure you will after reading this book. (It's like a lentil soup). We need more of these books in our routines. It's a new story, new characters and names and foods! My son loves to read this book with me. It is a little wordy so I skip a few of the words like "Abu says" and "Bilal says" because it's just too repetitive.There's even a recipe for daal at the back. I feel good knowing that there are more diverse books being written.

My dal rice loving 3.5 year old nephew loved the book, asked for it to be read four times in a row, and then asked for his dad to make him dal rice. The story is engaging and works well as both a celebration of a favorite food for kids who've grown up eating it and an introduction for kids who are unfamiliar, without feeling like it's giving an educational lecture.Another positive element is that it shows Bilal cooking with his father. It's unfortunately still too rare in children's media to see fathers depicted as doing the cooking, so it's nice to see that represented.

A well rounded picture book. Perfect for reading aloud. Any teacher or family could easily expand the lessons of friendship, patience, trying new things and incorporate measuring ingredients too. Great real world example of how diverse books can benefit all readers.

Wonderfully relatable story, with both fun and simple enough for kids to enjoy. Pictures show diverse children playing together, and Bilal’s dad cooks (mom is not mentioned). Has a recipe for daal in the back. A great book for any child!

Perfect book for introducing your 3-9 year olds to cultural experiences. Daal is a dietary staple we have enjoyed in travels to India. I am thrilled to have a book and recipe to introduce our grandchildren to this simple pleasure. This book has no religious references which makes it cross-culturally acceptable.

My daughter, who is 3.5 years old, adores this book. When I was buying it, I felt like she wouldn't care for it much, and, boy, I was wrong! We read 2 books before bed, and this book is frequently getting chosen by her, as she really likes the story.

Excellent for my picky eater

It's a very nice book to teach differences in cultures

my kids love this book. It is a cute read

Beautiful book with lovely illustrations!!