Aaliya Jaleel author page

Aaliya Jaleel biography

Aaliya Jaleel is a Sri-Lankan American illustrator who works in children’s books and also works as a designer for animation. She is associated with bright, pastel colour palettes and floral themes in her artwork. Her early picture-book work includes Under My Hijab with Hena Khan, published on 22 January 2019, and Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions of Our Time with Saira Mir, published in October 2019. In 2021, she illustrated Hannah and the Ramadan Gift by Qasim Rashid.

Jaleel has also illustrated the early chapter-book series The Party Diaries by Mitali Banerjee Ruths for Scholastic’s Branches line, including Awesome Orange Birthday, Starry Henna Night, Top Secret Anniversary, Fairy-Tale Puppy Picnic and Lucky Mermaid Sleepover. In 2024, she wrote and illustrated EidTale: An Eid al-Fitr Adventure, a board book in the Abrams Trail Tale series, published on 5 March 2024. A later milestone in her recent work came with Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, published on 20 May 2025.