 Her first book was published in 1923, "The Cruise of the Little Dipper and Other Fairy Tales", written by Susanne Langer, and she continued to illustrate throughout her life, including some works for adults.Sewell was the first illustrator of the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1932 to 1943), replaced by Garth Williams in 1953 and subsequent editions.She died on February 24, 1957, in New York City.