Aaliya Jaleel

Aaliya Jaleel is a Sri Lankan American illustrator, designer, and visual development artist based in the Dallas, Texas area. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Technology with a focus on animation. In addition to her work in publishing, she has worked in animation, including as a character designer and storyboard artist on projects such as the Disney Junior series Mira, Royal Detective.

Jaleel has illustrated numerous children’s books that center Muslim characters and diverse stories, including Under My Hijab by Hena Khan, Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Mir, and Maryam’s Magic: The Story of Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani by Megan Reid. Her illustration credits also include titles such as Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All and several chapter books in series like The Party Diaries. Known for bright, bold color palettes and Islamic- and South Asian–inspired patterns and motifs, she has collaborated with major publishers including Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Scholastic.