Ruth and Latrobe Carroll

'''Ruth Crombie Robinson Carroll''' (September 24, 1899, Lancaster, New York – December 5, 1999, Stamford, Connecticut)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/carroll_ruth.htm |title=Ruth Carroll |work=Comiclopedia |accessdate=August 5, 2019}}</ref> and "Archer" '''Latrobe Carroll''' (January 5, 1894 – November 30, 1996) were an American married couple who created children's books illustrated by Ruth. They received the Juvenile Award of the American Association of University Women, North Carolina chapter, in 1953 for ''Peanut'' and in 1955 for ''Digby the Only Dog''. They lived in Asheville, North Carolina.

In the U.S. Library of Congress Catalog, the five earliest records of works by Ruth Carroll are for solo picture books published from 1932 to 1937 (unpaginated, as many as 48 pages). The earliest is ''What Whiskers Did, a Story Without Words'' (Macmillan, 1932). In 1937, she created ''Chessie and Her Kittens'' for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The earliest joint work in the catalog is ''[The?] Flight of the Silver Bird'' (NY: J. Messner, Inc., 1939), 94 pp., {{LCCN|39029403}}. About 20 of their books were covered by ''Kirkus Reviews'', perhaps beginning with ''Scuffles'', the subject of a starred blurb in 1943.<ref>[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ruth-latrobe-carroll-2/scuffles "Scuffles by Ruth & Latrobe Carroll"]. Published September 9, 1943. ''Kirkus Reviews''. No date. Retrieved 2015-06-09.</ref> Other books include ''Pet Tale'' (NY: Oxford, 1949)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gross |first=Sarah Chokla |date=1949-12-18 |title=The Friendly Animals; PET TALE. By Ruth and Latrobe Carroll. Illustrated by Ruth Carroll. Unpaged. New York: Oxford University Press. $1.50. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1949/12/18/archives/the-friendly-animals-pet-tale-by-ruth-and-latrobe-carroll.html |access-date=2026-03-24 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and ''Salt and Pepper'' (NY: Oxford, 1952).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Book Reviews, Sites, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/ruth-and-latrobe-carroll-2/salt-and-pepper/ |access-date=2026-03-24 |website=Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}</ref>

The Tatum series features a boy, Beanie Tatum, pet dog Tough Enough, and their family, who live in the Smoky Mountains. The last four of six Tatum books were starred in ''Kirkus Reviews''. # ''Beanie'' (1953) # ''Tough Enough'' # ''Tough Enough's Trip'' # ''Tough Enough's Pony'' # ''Tough Enough and Sassy'' (1958) # ''Tough Enough's Indians'' (1960) Ruth's latest work in the Library of Congress catalog is a picture book written with Latrobe, ''Hullabaloo, the elephant dog,'' featuring a dog employed by a one-ring circus (''Kirkus'').<ref>[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ruth-latrobe-carroll-4/hullabaloo-the-elephant-dog "Hullabaloo the Elephant Dog by Ruth & Latrobe Carroll"]. Published September 18, 1975. ''Kirkus Reviews''. No date. Retrieved 2015-06-09.</ref>

Archival repositories holding manuscripts, illustrations, and other material by Ruth and Latrobe Carroll include the Archives and Special Collections Library at Vassar College Libraries,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guide to the Ruth Robinson Carrol Papers, 1913-1962 |url=https://digitallibrary.vassar.edu/collections/finding-aids/d80bc3d7-4548-4b07-830d-bc7d2e13b16f |access-date=March 24, 2026 |website=Vassar College Digital Library}}</ref> Special Collections and University Archives at University of Oregon Libraries,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ruth and Latrobe Carroll papers - Archives West |url=https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv19166 |access-date=2026-03-24 |website=archiveswest.orbiscascade.org}}</ref> and Buncombe County Special Collections at Pack Memorial Library in Asheville, North Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ruth and Latrobe Carroll Collection |url=https://7039.sydneyplus.com/archive/final/Portal/Default.aspx?component=AAEM&record=a430c253-45eb-46ad-92f9-f1d076a81bef |access-date=2026-03-24 |website=Buncombe County Public Library {{!}} ArchivEra (Final) |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-04-02 |title=The Carrolls – Stories to Tell |url=https://specialcollections.buncombenc.gov/2015/04/02/the-carrolls-stories-to-tell/ |access-date=2026-03-24 |website=Buncombe County Special Collections |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==  {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://libapps.uncg.edu/archon/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=13&q=ruth+carroll Ruth and Latrobe Carroll Papers, 1952–1960] (guide) at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro * [https://www.kirkusreviews.com/search/?q=ruth+latrobe+carroll&t=all Search: 'ruth latrobe carroll'] at ''Kirkus Reviews'' (about 20 reviews) * {{LCAuth|n50032357|Latrobe Carroll|30|}} * [http://lccn.loc.gov/n80039692 Ruth Carroll] at LC Authorities, with 50 records 1932–1975 <small>(previous page of browse report, under 'Carroll, Ruth, 1899–' without '1999')</small> * [https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n50-032357 Latrobe] and [https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n80-039692 Ruth Carroll] at WorldCat

{{Portal |Children's literature}} {{Authority control|additional=auto}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Carroll, Ruth And Latrobe}} Category:American children's writers Category:Married couples Category:Writers from Asheville, North Carolina