Hi! I'm Sabereh,
a children's book illustrator and author.
As a children’s book illustrator, my focus is always on emotion. I don’t just create pictures—I try to bring feelings to life through lines, shapes, and colors. My goal is to make children feel something when they look at my illustrations, whether it’s joy, curiosity, excitement, or even sadness.
A Childhood Filled with Stories & Colors
As a child, I loved spending time in the children’s section of the library, bringing home as many books as I could. But while my parents wanted me to read the stories, I was far more interested in the pictures.
I could spend hours looking at the illustrations, imagining what was happening beyond the pages. I would close my eyes and bring the characters to life in my mind, giving them movement, color, and emotion.
Looking back, I realize that I was learning to tell stories through images long before I understood what visual storytelling meant. Those childhood moments were the beginning of my love for illustration and the way images can tell stories without a single word.
From Engineering to Art – A Journey of Passion
I grew up in a family of engineers and academics, where logic, numbers, and structure mattered most. Art was something to enjoy, but never really something to build a career around. So, like many people, I chose the safer path and pursued a master’s degree in management.
But art never really left me. It stayed quietly in the background, always reminding me that there was something else I wanted to do.
Eventually, I decided to listen to that feeling. I stepped away from the path I had been following for years and began exploring illustration and storytelling. It was a big change, and not an easy one, but it finally felt like I was doing something that was truly mine.
My First Book – Where It All Began
I’ve always loved experimenting with different art styles and materials. But the real turning point came when I took a visual storytelling course at university. We had to create an illustration project, and I decided to sketch one of my own stories.
That story became Kooki Goes to the Pole—a small idea that turned into my first published book as a children’s book illustrator. What started as a simple university project became something bigger, something real. It was the moment I knew—this is what I was meant to do.
My Work as a Children’s Book Illustrator & Author
So far, I have published 29 books, 25 of which I both wrote and illustrated.
As a children’s book illustrator, I care most about emotion. I want my illustrations to do more than show what is happening—I want them to make children feel something. Through lines, shapes, and colors, I try to create moments of joy, curiosity, excitement, and even sadness.
Over time, I’ve developed a color palette of my own, combining soft, muted tones with unexpected touches of vibrant color. It gives my work a sense of warmth and nostalgia while keeping it playful and alive—much like the books that first inspired me as a child.
My Artistic Process & Style
I primarily work with digital illustration, but I still love traditional techniques like watercolor and ink. There’s something magical about the unpredictability of brushstrokes and textures, and I try to bring that organic feel into my digital work as well.
My process always starts with emotion. Before I even begin drawing, I ask myself:
What do I want the reader to feel in this scene? How can I use colors and shapes to bring that emotion to life? How do I make characters expressive, even without words?
For me, illustration isn’t just about making things look beautiful—it’s about telling a story through visuals.
Inspiration & Influences
As a teenager, I fell in love with Quentin Blake’s illustrations in Matilda. His fluid, effortless lines, the way he gave energy to characters—it fascinated me. I could spend hours just analyzing his work, trying to understand how he made his drawings feel so alive.
I was heartbroken when he passed, but his art continues to inspire me. His ability to capture movement and personality in just a few strokes is something I strive to achieve in my own illustrations.
Creating Books That Matter
Beyond illustration, my goal as a children’s book illustrator and author is to write books that help children navigate difficult emotions.
As a child, I often struggled with feelings of shame, self-doubt, and powerlessness—feelings that many children experience but don’t always know how to express. Through my books, I want to give them a sense of hope and reassurance. I want them to know that they are not alone, that their feelings are valid, and that they have the strength to overcome challenges.
If even one child reads my books and feels seen, understood, and empowered, then I know I’ve done something meaningful.
Let’s Make the World More Colorful
At the end of the day, illustration and storytelling are about connection. Whether it’s through a beautifully drawn character, a heartfelt story, or the perfect combination of colors and lines, my goal is always the same: to create something that children can relate to, which stays with them long after they turn the last page.
Because stories shape us.
Because pictures speak louder than words.
Because every child deserves a book that makes them feel understood, inspired, and seen.
Let’s tell stories that make the world a little more colorful.