Carolyn Verhoeff

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Carolyn Parker Verhoeff (1876–1975) was an American teacher, children's author, and civic activist. She studied at Vassar College and later did postgraduate work at Radcliffe, then brought that education into kindergarten teaching and writing for very young readers.

Her best-known book, All About Johnnie Jones, was described as a set of simple, realistic stories for little children. Contemporary material connected the book directly to her work in Louisville kindergartens, where the stories developed in response to what children enjoyed hearing.

Verhoeff's life reached beyond the classroom. She was active in civic causes including women's suffrage, and sources also describe her as a vegetarian who wrote children's books encouraging humane treatment of animals. That mix of practical teaching, social commitment, and affection for children's daily worlds gives her writing its gentle, grounded appeal.