Ellis Credle

Who is Ellis Credle?

Ellis Credle was the author of a number of books for children and young adults, some of which she also illustrated. Credle is best known as the creator of the acclaimed children's book Down Down the Mountain and other stories set in the South. While the most successful of her work has been called inspirational, some other stories were controversial for her depiction of African Americans.

Credle was raised in North Carolina, but broke into writing after years of struggle in New York City. She spent the last half of her long life residing in Mexico, where some of her later stories are set. Over the course of her career she had the opportunity to collaborate with her husband, who was a professional photographer, and with her son, who in time became a well-known archeologist.