During a prolific career spanning from 1919 to 1967, she used her artistic skills as an illustrator of other authors’ children's fictional literature: more than 38 books were published with her illustrations. Lathrop wrote and illustrated nine children's books and several topical nonfiction books. She was also an accomplished printmaker. Much of her work was devoted to the beauty and importance of animals.
Lathrop's career began around 1919, when her first published suite of illustrations appeared in Walter de la Mare's book for children, The Three Mulla-Mulgars. Lathrop developed a friendship with de la Mare, and thereafter illustrated five more of his books for children: Down-Adown-Derry (1922), Crossings (1923), The Dutch Cheese (1931), Mr. Bumps and His Monkey (1942) and Bells and Grass (1942).
In 1929, Lathrop illustrated Rachel Field's successful children's novel, Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, the fictional story of a doll, which won the Newbery Medal, awarded by the American Library Association for the best children's novel of the year. In 1931, Lathrop wrote The Fairy Circus, which was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal. In 1938, Lathrop's illustrations for Animals of the Bible, written by Helen Dean Fish, won her the inaugural Caldecott Medal, awarded for the year's "most distinguished American picture book for children".
The Happy Flute. Mandal, Sant Ram (author), Stokes, 1939.
The Light Princess. Macdonald, George (author), Macmillan, 1952.
The Little Mermaid. Andersen, Hans (author), Macmillan, 1939.
The Little White Goat. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1935.
The Littlest Mouse. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1955.
The Long Bright Land. Howes, Edith (author), Little Brown, 1929.
The Lost Merry-Go-Round. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1938.
The Princess and Curdie. MacDonald, George (author), Macmillan, 1927.
The Skittle Skattle Monkey. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1945.
The Snail Who Ran. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Stokes, 1934.
The Snow Image. Hawthorne, Nathaniel (author), Macmillan, 1930.
The Three Mulla-Mulgars. De La Mare, Walter (author), Knopf, 1919.
Treasure of Carcassonne. Robida, A. (author), E.M. Hale, 1926.
Who Goes There? Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1935
References
^ abWho's Who in New York City and State. Vol. 8. Lewis Randolph Hamersly, John William Leonard, William Frederick Mohr, Frank R. Holmes, Herman Warren Knox, Winfield Scott Downs (editors). L.R. Hamersly Company. 1924. p. 760.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
Lathrop is indexed in the book American Writers for Children 1900–1960, edited by John Cech (1983, Gale Research Co.) Dictionary of Literary Biography, volume 22.
Lathrop is also featured with a chapter about her life, and literary and artistic talents in the book Topflight: Famous American Women, by Anne Stoddard, Year 1946, published by Nelson and sons (224 Pages), chapter title "Animal Artist Extraordinary".
In 1991, the University at Albany (New York) featured and honored the achievements of Lathrop's art and prominence within the literary world of in a special exhibition, "Dorothy P. Lathrop, A Centenary Celebration, Oct 1 – Oct 27, 1991"
The best single source about Lathrop's art and life is the catalogue of a 2006 exhibition of Lathrop's art, presented by The Brandywine River Museum in Chadd's Ford, PA, the museum best known as the repository of much of the Wyeth family's artwork. That exhibition catalogue, "Flora, Fauna, and Fantasy: The Art of Dorothy Lathrop," contains essays, all profusely illustrated by Lathrop's artwork, by Anne Roberts ("Dorothy Lathrop's World," a brief biography), Virginia O'Hara (who contributes the longer keynote essay, with the same title as the catalogue itself and many illustrations), and Charles Semowich ("Dorothy P. Lathrop, Printmaker").
