Cooking and Eating Together
Representation is so important. Children need to see themselves reflected in the books they read. Also, children need to see the experiences of others, to reflect on how different experiences make the world so much more delicious.
In the book, Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed and Anoosha Syed we meet Bilal, a boy who could be your child’s classmate, could be your student, could be your child, could be the neighbour down the street. Bilal’s favourite dish of all is daal but daal takes time to make, it’s a slow process and Bilal is excited to share it with Abu and his friends. First they choose their colour because there are so many different kinds of daal. They add the daal and the spices and then they wait. Daal is different from food Bilal’s friends usually eat so he gets a little worried they won’t like it. The ingredients are different from what they eat with their families but Bilal’s friends are eager to try, so eager they continually ask if the daal is ready. In the end they all love this delicious, creamy, steamy dish.
In this lovely story we see children cooking with parents, cooking with each other and sharing a meal together. When we eat together we are so much more apt to try new and different things. This book shows children that they are capable of helping out in the kitchen and will hopefully inspire them to ask their own parents to help out and maybe even try cooking daal. The best part is Aisha Saeed includes a recipe for Chana Daal at the end of the story so you can try it at home. The illustrations by Anoosha Syed are lively with a cartoon feel. They invite the reader into the cooking process and show how colourful and beautiful cooking can be. I especially love the end papers filled with all of the ingredients you need to make some delicious daal of your own.
Aisha Saeed has written a number of other books and is a member of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books. If you are looking for broad perspectives to include in your home or classroom library check out the OurStory app for incredible recommendations and book lists for children to adults.
