Yasmeen Ismail

Irish-born, Bristol-based Yasmeen Ismail is an award-winning author, illustrator and animator. Yasmeen studied at art school in her hometown, Dublin. After graduating, Yasmeen moved to London where she worked on many different projects ranging from advertising and short films, to children's publishing.

After many years working in animation Yasmeen found herself writing and illustrating picture books. Her illustrations are bright, fluid and full of energy and movement. She has a love of watercolours, inks and paints and is moving into all sorts of other mediums. Yasmeen loves to experiment and expand in all areas of her work and is constantly trying new ways to improve her writing and drawing. She loves to make her readers laugh, have fun and enjoy her books, which include Time For Bed, Fred, Would You Like A Banana?, I'm A Girl and Specs for Rex.

She now lives in Bristol with her husband, their two babies and Betty the cat.

Follow this link to read an interview in pictures with Yasmeen that featured in The Guardian.

  • 2020 World Illustration Award Winner of Children’s Book Category
  • V&A Book Illustrator of the Year 2014
  • The New York Times Best Illustrated Book 2014

Praise for Time for Bed, Fred

Somehow, one look at Ismail's shaggy dog, Fred, is enough to make readers grin...

Publisher's Weekly

Did you know…

  • Yasmeen constantly purchases the same paintbrush over and over again with the same words in her head, “Oh this is a nice brush, I haven’t got that one”.

  • Yasmeen purchases plants with the intention of caring for them, but does the opposite and they usually end up dead.

  • Yasmeen can speak 20 different languages, although she doesn’t like doing so in front of other people, so don’t ask.

Find out more on Yasmeen Ismail's website

Publishers' websites

Watch:

In this video, Yasmeen talks about how she goes about developing characters for her books

Have a look at some Yasmeen Ismail activities: