About Maral

Maral Sassouni grew up in Playa del Rey,  a small beach town in southern California, where she spent her time reading, drawing and swimming. She’s been illustrating since graduating from UCLA, where she studied design then animation.

She got her start illustrating for newspapers and magazines all over the country. But now her main focus is creating illustrations for children’s books.

Winner of SCBWI’s Portfolio Grand Prize in 2013,  Maral’s work has also been honored by the Society of Illustrators (NY), 3×3 Picture Book Show and SILA.  Her work has been exhibited worldwide in group shows of children’s illustration including Sarmede (Italy), Museo Franz Mayer / IBBY Congress 2014 (Mexico City), Nami Island International Illustration exhibit (Korea), and Illustration West (LA).

Based in Paris since 1992, Maral now divides her time between France and California.  Her debut picture book, THE GREEN UMBRELLA, was published by North South Books in 2017.

AWARDS | EXHIBITS

•SCBWI: Portfolio Showcase Grand Prize Winner, 2013.
•Society of Illustrators (NY):  selected for Illustrators 56 exhibit & annual,  2014.
•Society of Illustrators (LA): Illustration West Show  2015, 2017
•3x3: Picture Book Show, 2014, 2013, 2012— ( Distinguished Merit)
•Immagini della Fantasia: group show of children's book illustrations (Sàrmede, Italy). in 2012 and 2011.
•Nami Island Illustration Concours, (IBBY) : illustration/book selected for international exhibit, 2013.
•Associazione Illustratori (Milan, Italy) group show — Le metamorfosi del viaggiatore, 2012

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Honors for THE GREEN UMBRELLA—

•Bank Street Best Children's Books of 2017 List
•Parents Choice, Silver Award
•Moms Choice, Gold Award