Until the mid-twentieth century, few Ocracoke islanders had dogs. But almost every household had a brood of free-ranging chickens. Homeowners were afraid that un-penned dogs would chase and kill their chickens. A beloved children’s book, Digby the Only Dog, by Ruth and Latrobe Carroll, published in 1955, was set on Ocracoke Island.

Ruth Carroll (1899-1999), the book’s illustrator, had graduated from Vassar and moved to New York City to study at the Arts Students League. Ruth’s husband, Latrobe (1894-1996), was a Harvard graduate and writer for literary magazines. Together they produced eleven children’s books. In 1950, tiring of life in the city, they moved to Asheville, North Carolina, to be near nature and to write about “natural children.” They traveled throughout the state and wrote and illustrated twelve more books while living in Asheville, including Digby and a series about the Tatum family and a puppy named Tough Enough, set in the Appalachian Mountains. The Carroll’s books always included an animal, usually a dog. Plots typically included disturbance, confusion, or uncertainty, but there was always a happy ending.

We do not know exactly when the Carrolls discovered Ocracoke, but the island clearly captured their imaginations.

According to Digby the Only Dog, Ocracoke had many cats, but only one dog, Digby. The book follows Digby’s adventures, and includes delightful drawings of Ocracoke Village in the 1950s. There were ponies and cattle and ducks and chickens and geese and people…and many, many cats. But only one dog. Ruth Carroll’s drawings, like the one below of Howard Street, capture the essence and character of Ocracoke in the 1950s.

Though Digby often wished there were some dogs on the island to keep him company, the other animals were his friends, especially the cats. He liked them best of all. But his owner, the captain of the ferryboat, wanted his dog to act like a dog, and poor Digby just didn’t know how. He had been brought up by cats — his best friends were cats.

Digby’s problem is finally solved by the ferryboat captain who brings a boatload of dogs to the island. After some misadventures, the story ends in a way that will amuse and delight young readers.

Ruth and Latrobe Carroll received the Juvenile Award of the American Association of University Women in 1955 for Digby.

Unfortunately, Digby the Only Dog is out of print. However, copies are available in several North Carolina libraries and online.