After the war she illustrated two books which were acclaimed in Hungary, a fact she later attributed to her father's reputation rather than to her own skill. In 1922 she came to the United States for a visit and decided to stay. Because she did not know English, her first task was to learn the language well enough to read and understand the books she wanted to illustrate. To support herself, she did artwork on greeting cards, lamp shades, and book covers. Gradually she found work as an illustrator of textbooks and children's trade books. She was aided by a countryman, artist and illustrator Willy Pogany, who gave her a letter of introduction to his publishers in 1926.
In 1933 Seredy opened a children's bookstore. Although the store was a failure financially and was open only a year, Seredy claimed that the experience was valuable because she was able to talk with children about their preferences in books. She became convinced that good pictures could sell any book and that, as she later wrote in Horn Book Magazine, "books children love are invariably made by people who have a profound love for their work and are sincere about it."
As the Depression continued in 1935, Seredy found herself in financial difficulties.
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