Sean E Avery is a primary art teacher, author-illustrator, graphic designer and public speaker born in South Africa; living in Perth, Western Australia. Nationally, he’s best known as the creator of best-selling and critically acclaimed children’s picture books, All Monkeys Love Bananas and Frank's Red Hat.

His picture book, Happy as a Hog Out of Mud, won the 2022 WAYRBA Picture Book of the Year Award and Frank’s Red Hat won the 2023 CBCA Shadow Judges and WAYRBA Picture Book of the Year awards – it was also shortlisted for the 2023 Indie, Taco, KOALA, YABBA and CBCA Picture Book of the Year Awards. His graphic novel, Friendly Bee and Friends, was shortlisted for the 2024 WAYRBA Young Readers Book of the Year Award and named The Guardian’s best new graphic novel series for young readers. His books have been translated into Arabic, Mandarin, French, Korean, German and Danish. Sean's new graphic novel series, Ducky the Spy, published by Walker Books Australia, is out now. He has three new unannounced picture books due for release in 2025 with Walker Books Australia and Scholastic Australia.

In his previous artistic career, Sean was a sculptor who used CDs and DVDs to create breathtaking works of art that reside in galleries and private collections worldwide. His sculptures have been featured in publications like Ripleys Believe It Or Not!, The Huffington Post, and Kid's National Geographic to name a few. He represented Australia in the 2014 Waste To Art Exhibition in Baku, Azerbaijan where he built sculptures with other international artists from all around the world.

Sean currently works as the art specialist at Carnaby Rise Primary School where he has set an impressive standard for his visual art programme. His students have won many prestigious awards for creativity such as the Shaun Tan Art Award and CBCA WA Make Your Own Storybook competition. He organises annual community events, art shows and runs PD for art teachers in Metro WA. He has also established a small publishing imprint at the school that publishes one student book a year that is professionally produced and sold to raise money for the P&C.

He is curious, enthusiastic and ready to work hard for the things he believes in.

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Buy Sean's books from Booktopia
Watch Sean's 'How To Make Books' video lessons for kids on YouTube