Sarah is an award-winning illustrator, concept artist and book designer. She has worked with clients in publishing, film, and animation and has illustrated more than 50 books. Sarah is best known for her long-lived and well-loved series such as Fearless, Violet Mackerel, and Marmaduke Duck. Her illustration is inspired by a love of narrative and with each project she experiments with new ways to tell visual tales, working across a range of eclectic media - paint, ink, pencil, collage, sculpture, photography and 3D digital modelling. She has 4+ years experience working in-house as Associate Art Director at Walker Books Australia, where she collaborated with some of Australia's finest picture-book illustrators.
An experienced presenter with a teaching background, Sarah is in high demand as a speaker at schools, festivals and universities throughout Australia and internationally. Her sessions relate to curriculum focus areas across English and the creative arts, and are fun, inclusive and energetic, with lots of audience participation. She covers the process of illustrating a picture book, showing roughs and works in progress, and the basic principles of character design, composition, and constructing a visual narrative, but the main focus is on learning to think laterally and sharing the joy of creativity.
Sarah’s most recent books are:
Solomon Macaroni and the Paris Predicament by Ashleigh Barton (2023, UQP)
The Grizzled Grist Does Not Exist by Juliette Maciver (2022, Gecko Press)
Solomon Macaroni and the Cousin Catastrophe by Ashleigh Barton (2022, UQP)
Worse Things by Sally Murphy (2021, Walker Books Australia), an Honour Book in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2021,
That’s Not a Hippopotamus! by Juliette Maciver (2017, Gecko Press), winner of Best Picture Book in the New Zealand Children's Book Awards 2018
Sarah is also proud to be an ambassador for the children’s literacy charity, Room to Read.
in the works...
Zeep The Irresistible, written and illustrated by Sarah Davis, HarperCollins 2023
Wonky Circle written by Finn Davis, HarperCollins 2024
Laundry Land, collaboration with Hebru Brantley
List of Published Works
Picture Books
The Grizzled Grist Does Not Exist written by Juliette MacIver, Gecko Press 2022
The Christmas Tree Tangle, written by Margaret Mahy, Penguin RandomHouse 2017
That's Not a Hippopotamus! written by Juliette MacIver, Gecko Press 2016
Mending Lucille, written by J.R. Poulter, Lothian/Hachette Livre 2008
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, written by Sue Whiting, New Frontier 2009
The Fierce Little Woman and the Wicked Pirate, written by Joy Cowley, Gecko Press, NZ 2010
Sounds Spooky, written by Chris Cheng, Random House 2011
Toucan Can! written by Juliette MacIver, Gecko Press 2013
Be Brave Pink Piglet, written by Phil Cummings, Lothian/Hachette Livre 2015
Look Out, Pink Piglet! written by Phil Cummings, Hachette 2016
The House on the Hill, written by Kyle Mewburn, Scholastic NZ 2016
The Fearless Series:
Fearless, written by Colin Thompson, ABC Books/HarperCollins 2009
Fearless in Love, written by Colin Thompson, ABC Books/HarperCollins 2012
Fearless & Sons & Daughter, written by Colin Thompson, ABC Books/HarperCollins 2012
The Marmaduke Duck Series:
Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam, written by Juliette McIver, Scholastic NZ 2010
Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear, written by Juliette McIver, Scholastic NZ 2011
Marmaduke Duck on the Wide Blue Seas written by Juliette McIver, Scholastic NZ 2013
Marmaduke Duck and the Christmas Calamity, written by Juliette MacIver, Scholastic NZ 2016
illustrated FICTION
Solomon Macaroni and the Paris Predicament written by Ashleigh Barton University of Queensland Press, 2023
Solomon Macaroni and the Cousin Catastrophe written by Ashleigh Barton University of Queensland Press, 2022
Worse Things, written by Sally Murphy, Walker Books Australia, 2021
George and the Great Brain Swappery, written by Cal Wilson, Scholastic Australia 2019
George and the Great Bum Stampede, written by Cal Wilson, Scholastic Australia 2019
American Girl:
Aloha Kanani, written by Lisa Yee, American Girl, Girl of the Year series 2011
Good Job Kanani, written by Lisa Yee, American Girl, Girl of the Year series 2011
Saige, written by Jessie Haas, American Girl, Girl of the Year series 2013
Saige Paints the Sky, written by Jessie Haas, American Girl, Girl of the Year series 2013
Grace, written by Mary Casanova, American Girl, Girl of the Year series 2014
Grace Stirs It Up, written by Mary Casanova, American Girl, Girl of the Year series 2014
Grace Makes it Great, written by Mary Casanova, American Girl, Girl of the Year series 2014
The Violet Mackerel Series:
Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot, written by Anna Branford, Walker Books 2010
Violet Mackerel’s Remarkable Recovery, written by Anna Branford, Walker Books 2011
Violet Mackerel’s Natural Habitat, written by Anna Branford, Walker Books 2011
Violet Mackerel’s Personal Space, written by Anna Branford, Walker Books 2012
Violet Mackerel’s Possible Friend, written by Anna Branford, Walker Books 2012
Violet Mackerel’s Pocket Protest, written by Anna Branford, Walker Books 2013
Violet Mackerel’s Helpful Suggestion, written by Anna Branford, Walker Books 2014
Violet Mackerel’s Formal Occasion, written by Anna Branford, Walker Books 2014
The Anti-Princess Club:
Emily's Tiara Trouble, written by Sam Turnbull, Allen and Unwin 2015
Grace's Dance Disaster, written by Sam Turnbull, Allen and Unwin 2015
Bella's Backyard Bullies, written by Sam Turnbull, Allen and Unwin 2015
Chloe's River Rescue, written by Sam Turnbull, Allen and Unwin 2015
The Anti-Princess Club - Cruise Control, written by Samantha Turnbull, Allen and Unwin 2016
AWARDS
Fearless:
Shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2010
Winner: CBCA Junior Judges award, KROC, KOOL, WAYBRA, YABBA and KOALA Children’s Choice Awards 2010
Fearless in Love:
Winner: KROC, YABBA and KOALA Children’s Choice Awards 2012
House On the Hill:
Shortlisted for the NZ Children’s Book of the Year Award 2016, winner of the Children's Choice Junior Judges Award 2016
Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam:
Shortlisted for the NZ Post Children’s Book of the Year Award and the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award 2011
Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear:
Shortlisted for the LIANZA Russell Clarke Award for Illustration 2012
Marmaduke Duck on the Wide Blue Seas:
Shortlisted for the LIANZA Russell Clarke Award for Illustration 2015
Shortlisted for the NZ Post Children’s Book of the Year Children's Choice Award
Mending Lucille:
Winner: Children’s Book Council of Australia Crichton Award 2009
The Fierce Little Woman and the Wicked Pirate
Shortlisted for the LIANZA Russell Clarke Award for Illustration 2011
Sounds Spooky
Winner: Aurealis Awards Best Children’s Picture Book 2011
Notable Book CBCABook of the Year Awards 2012
Shortlisted for the SCBWI Crystal Kite 2012
That's Not A Hippopotamus!:
Winner Best Picture Book of the Year NZ Children's Book Awards 2017
Toucan Can!
Shortlisted for the New Zealand Post Book of the Year Awards 2014
A Storylines Notable Book 2014
Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot
Shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2011
Honour Book CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2011
Violet Mackerel’s Natural Habitat
Notable Book CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2012
Violet Mackerel’s Personal Space
Notable Book CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2013
Winner Australian Family Therapists’ Awards for Children’s Literature 2013
Violet Mackerel’s Possible Friend
Notable Book CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2014
Shortlisted CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2014
Violet Mackerel’s Helpful Suggestion
Notable Book CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2015
Worse Things
Honour Book CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2021