Summary
Bilal and his friends go to his house and start cooking dinner. The children ask why they are starting so early and Bilal explains that daal takes a long time to cook. They work together with the help of Abu until it is time to let the daal cook on its own. The children play for the rest of the day as they wait. Bilal’s friends continue to ask if it is ready yet, but he tells them that it still needs time. Finally, the daal is ready and all of the children try it and they like it.
Theme(s):
friendship, food, patience
Personal Response
I did not know what daal was prior to reading this book. I enjoyed it because Bilal wants to share part of his culture with his friends. It made me happy to see him so happy when his friends not only enjoyed the food but got to take part in the cooking process with him. I noticed that he was very patient whereas his friends were not. This shows that this is a meal his family cooks often so he is familiar with the process and cook time. I also noticed that the main character was a diverse male.
Teaching Ideas
This book would connect well with the community unit for kindergarten and first grade. Students could make dishes that they like to eat and bring them in to share with the class. They could also make and try dishes from different cultures at school. This will allow students to connect to the people in their community better by trying their food and learning about their cultures. First-grade students could then write about their favorite food that they tried or made and draw a picture of it.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01
