Her first children's book was "Ballet Shoes", published by J. M. Dent in 1936. She recalled, "The story poured off my pen, more or less telling itself ... I distrusted what came easily and so despised the book." It was a commended runner-up for the inaugural Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best British children's book, and it launched a successful career in writing for children. For her third book and third "Shoes" novel, "The Circus Is Coming" (later published as "Circus Shoes"), she won the 1938 Carnegie Medal.