Reza Dalvand is an award-winning author and illustrator of more than 30 books for readers of all ages. To date, his books have been translated into over 15 languages. He is a four-time nominee for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, has been featured at the Bologna Book Fair Exhibition and received the Grand Prize from the Oshima Picture Book Museum in Japan.

His work blends emotional storytelling with poetic visuals, often exploring themes such as childhood, self-acceptance, social justice, and identity. Creating magical worlds rooted in real cultures, details, and feelings, he invites both children and adults into stories that are whimsical yet deeply human. Strongly influenced by his Persian heritage, his work carries a universal resonance that has reached readers around the world. He is currently illustrating The Swan, a comedy-horror picture book written by Leila Boukarim, to be published by Holt Kids / Macmillan. He also recently illustrated Persian Mythology by Ryan Tahmseb, published by Running Press Kids / Hachette.

His most recent author-illustrator project, When the Apples Are Upset, was published by Tuti Books in Iran and Je Suis Capable will soon be released by Les Arènes in France.

Other books authored and/or illustrated by Reza include What Could That Be? (Scholastic / Orchard), Mrs. Bibi’s Elephant (Flying Eye Books), Ace (Tuti Books), The Day of Your Arrival (Nube Ocho), Gulistan, Entre Toi et Moi (Les Arènes), and many more. I Have the Right (Scribble), a picture book the UN Convention on Human Rights of the Child was named a “Future Classic” by Bookstagang and was named to The ABA Children’s Group’s Best Books for Young Readers.

Reza holds a BFA from Isfahan University of Art and an MFA in Illustration from the University of Tehran, where he later returned as a lecturer. Before moving to the United States in 2023, he was an Art Director for several children’s publishing houses, overseeing the design and production of hundreds of books.

He now lives and works in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Praise for Reza’s work:


Excerpt from a review of Mrs. Bibi’s Elephant by Kirkus Reviews:

“It would be possible to believe that Iranian author/illustrator Dalvand spent a lifetime painting this picture book…at moments, the story achieves the elegant simplicity of a fable—or, perhaps, a lost chapter of The Little Prince. Many readers will feel liberated by the ending… No matter how often children open this book, they’ll always discover something new.”

Excerpt from a review of Mrs. Bibi’s Elephant in School Library Journal

“Dalvand, an Iranian author/illustrator, explores the feelings and reactions that surround anxiety about diversity through a global symbol of unity—an elephant. A range of emotions—from fury to felicity—is expressed through intricate illustrations rendered in vivid pinks, reds, and yellows interspersed among muted grays, greens, and blues. Mrs. Bibi is white, the residents are depicted in a variety of colors, and the elephant is gray…. introduces children to the concepts of diverse perspectives, social acceptance, and communal harmony.”

Excerpt from a review of Mrs. Bibi’s Elephant from BookTrust

“Reza Dalvand’s book is a stunning work of remarkable colour and verve which feels fresh, stylish and sophisticated.” ―BookTrust, Mrs. Bibi’s Elephant ( Flying Eye Books)

Excerpt from a review of What Could That Be? by Kirkus Reviews:

“Iranian author/illustrator Dalvand depicts trees and figures in shimmering, almost luminescent colors to make the item, a small black lump, look all the more enigmatic… This German import is a simple play on a provocative notion, with art in pleasingly vivid hues.”

Excerpt from a review of The Day of Your Arrival by Kirkus Reviews

“A tender, beautifully illustrated picture book depicting adoption as a way to grow a family.”

Countries where my books have been published:

USA, UK, France, Iran, Spain, Switzerland, China, Japan, Portugal, Brazil, Korea, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Syria, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Canada, Sweden, Greece, Russia, Macedonia, Australia

Languages of publication:

English, French, German, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, Persian, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, Azerbaijani, Slovenian, Swedish, Greek, Macedonian, Catalan, Italian, Russian