Hani D. El-Masri
- Art Department
Recipient of the first "Best Illustration for Children's Book" National
Award in Egypt (1979), presented by Mrs. Jehane Sadat, First Lady of
Egypt. Came to the United States in 1987 and freelanced until being
hired by Walt Disney Imagineering in March of 1990 and moved to
California in June 1990. WDI subsequently sponsored permanent residence
status. In 1995 was hired as a visual development artist by Dreamworks
SKG, Steven Spielberg's studio to work on the animated 'Prince of
Egypt', and stayed on for another two animation movies. Freelanced and
consulted from 2000 till today. Naturalized in March of 2001. Came back
to live and work in Egypt in February of 2005. Was awarded Best
Egyptian Illustrator of 2004 by the National Council for Children
Books, headed by Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady, in may 2005. IBBY
Honor Award, 2006 (International Board on Books for Young People,
Basel, Switzerland.) for illustration of 'Behind the Secret Door'.