Bela and Lily

About Bela and Lily

A heartwarming picture book about two young girls who don’t speak the same language and still become fast friends, by Bangladeshi American writer and artist, Natasha Khan Kazi.

Lily looks at my eyes, lips, and shoulders
as if they are pieces of a puzzle.


Bela, who has recently arrived in the United States from Bangladesh, meets Lily on the swings. But how do you make a friend when you don’t speak the same language? Based on Natasha’s own experience as a five-year-old immigrant making her first friend, Bela and Lily is about how two kindred spirits forge a bond through smiles, giggles, and a shared love of adventure, while also learning each other’s words.