Evelyn Mary Breakell was born in Preston, Lancashire, England, on 14 September 1906.
[1] She worked as a primary school teacher from 1927 to 1931,[2] when she married Arthur Sutton at Christ Church, Fulwood, Preston.
[1] Sutton's first children's book, My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes, was written after her cousin by marriage, Lynley Dodd, suggested that they collaborate on a book; Sutton wrote the text and Dodd provided the illustrations.
[2][4] Now regarded as a New Zealand classic, it was Sutton's only picture book, and it received the Esther Glen Award in 1975.
[2][4] Subsequently, Sutton went on to write books for older children, including a series of novels about the experiences of immigrants to New Zealand.