Evening star., 1943-01-04

out in this modern age of miracles
But publishers did seem to be in
terested in stories based on the
American scene"
This. as it turned out, was a real
@break' for the budding author
She had taught school in the Blue
Ridge Mountains of North Carolina
and this picturesque section appealed
to her imagination.
1T was a section which at that
time had never bene made into a
picture book for children" she eX-
planned "On the other hand, the
way had been we'll prepared by
books for adults
In spite of her first-hand knowl-
edge, Miss Creole again embarked
on reading program-this time de-
voted to every book she could find
on the mountain scene.
BY 1884, when she had completed
Down, Down the Mountain, a
book for youngsters between and
s, the simple text, supplemented by
her pictures, was distilled product
condensing the effort Of four years
research
Found Way Paved.
Orce Identified as an authority
on the North Carolina mountains,
however, the writer and artist found
the way paved for future books and
also began to receive commissions to
Illustrate books and stories.
Her latest art work was done for
"Caleb's Luck" a mountain story
by Laura Benet. which recently
went on the market.
Only once so far has Miss Creole
strayed from her native scene to
publish book with foreign locale.
Her "Pepe and the Parrot" is a
Mexican story based on material
collected during an extended stay
there.
She also has visited some Of the
South American countries and hopes
to return with her husband, who
speaks Spanish we'll. But at pres
ent she will stick to her own coun-
try for background Il don't think
! know enough about anything else,
she explained.
Miss Creole puts lot of thought
into her titles, striving to appeal to
youngsters imagination and fire.
quently running through the die
tionary to find words that sound
well together.
Some of her popular sellers have
been The Goat That Went to
School," The Flop Eared Hound
and Don't Wash My Ears
Works in Garage.
The author artist finds that she
must have quiet when she works
and while living recently near
Ashville, N. c., set up her studio
in a stationary trailer. Her present
workshop is in the garage of her
Alexandria home at 519 Tennessee
avenue. which is informally done
in the Mexican manner-with Mex
lean souvenirs and whatnot show.
ing up nicely against a white
washed background.
A novel feature is a clothes line
dangling with notes and finished
manuscript. clipped on with clothes
pins. Il find this a much handler
system than rummaging through
files" she said with laugh. "Wher
I finish a chapter, I just clip it up
Extremely practical about the
writing profession Miss Credle
wishes publishers would get out
children's books in more inexpen-
sive editions.
She has made an extensive study
of the methods used by the Soviet
Union in distributing and popular
izing juvenile books and believes
we can learn much from them.
The price of children's books ir
Russia is so low, she said, that they
sell to millions where we would sell
to thousands. And the finest art
lists in Russia are encouraged tc
illustrate children'S books and to
make posters to promote reading,
she said.
The average price of 50 for new
children's book here automatically
deprives great many youngsters
of an opportunity to read it, she
pointed out.
Friends of the Childrens Museum
Of Washington will be interested to
know that Miss Credle did the
murals for the library of the Chill
dren's Museum in Brooklyn during
her New York residence.
She also did reptile paintings and
drawings which are. on permanent
exhibition at the American Museum
OF Natural History in New York.