Overview

I love children's books because they catch us at a time when anything seems possible - we might have tea with tigers, rage with wild things all through the night, or just be extremely, even murderously, determined to find our hats.

I work most often in pencils and sometimes a touch of gouache. It gives me joy when my illustrations are able to expand upon the written story and further grow the connection and empathy felt by the reader towards the characters.

I was nominated for the Children's Book Council of Australia Award for New Illustrators (2016) for my work in 'The Cat with the Coloured Tail', written by Gillian Mears and published by Walker Books. 'The Cat with the Coloured Tail' was nominated for multiple other industry awards, and very well reviewed, making the 'Best Books of 2015' list in a number of national media outlets.

I've also worked with independent clients and self-published authors. I worked with phonetics teacher Fiona Murray to illustrate her series of five books titled 'Carlos the Caterpillar and Friends'. This book series went on to win the Silver Moonbeam Award for Best Book Series - Fiction (2013).

“The publisher has found an inspired illustrator for this beautiful, unearthly tale.”
— Kerryn Goldsworthy, Sydney Morning Herald

“The finely detailed coloured-pencil illustrations on each page enhance the mood of the story and... give this book a timeless feel.”

— Margaret Hamilton, Books + Publishing

If you'd like to work with me, or you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I'm looking forward to hearing from you :)

Services

Cover Design

Illustration

Languages

English

Fiction

Middle Grade

Picture Books

Certifications

First Class Honours - Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication (2012) - University of Technology Sydney

Awards

Nominated for the Children's Book Council of Australia Crichton Award for New Illustrators (2016)
Shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards - Book of the Year for Younger Children (2016)
Shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Book Prize (2016)
Longlisted for the 2016 Indie Book Awards - Children's Books (2016)

Illustrator

Self-employed

October, 2010 – Present (almost 10 years)

Dinalie Dabarera is an illustrator with 10 years of experience working in the industry. Over that time she has collaborated on projects across the corporate sector, publishing, editorial and television. Her career highlights include being nominated for the CBCA Crichton Award for New Illustrators, being selected for the Powerhouse Museum’s inaugural NSW Creative Industries Residency Program, and meeting Jon Klassen.

The Cat with the Coloured Tail

A magical cat, an ice-cream van that makes delicious moon-creams and a quest to bring joy to those who need it most. "Gillian Mears' distinctive voice is undimmed and her yearning fable is a sweet and gentle reminder of the two great forces that lie dormant within us -- kindness and hope. Her work hasn't just described life; it's enhanced it. And we owe her thanks." -- Tim Winton