these illustrations look lovely and no one is at fault here, but i agree that publishers should work harder to find illustrators from the histories/folklores/countries they're spotlighting, especially since there are tons of amazing egyptian children's illustrators working rn! https://twitter.com/DareenXoo/status/1253578361596674049

i mean, just look at basma hosam's work! basma_hosam on instagram, beehosam on behance.

esraa hedary is another one of my favorites. esraa_hedary on instagram.

sohila khaled is on twitter! @Sohilasouu

salma hafez @AnimatedSal also does incredible illustration/animation

she's also part of dadgeem on instagram, a design and illustration collective that also includes alia wahby, /alia_wahby7fa2 on behance for her animated work.

also part of dadgeen is menna hamdy, /Menat-Allah on behance and menatallahamdy on insta.

this entire thread has been JUST female egyptian artists, but i would be remiss not to mention @metahatem, who is already killing it and setting the standard for egyptian illustrators in international publication.