Tomie dePaola (1934–2020)
Author of Strega Nona
About the Author
Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut on September 15, 1934. He received a B.F.A. from Pratt Institute in 1956, a M.F.A. from California College of Arts and Crafts in 1969, and a doctoral equivalency from Lone Mountain College in 1970. He has written and/or illustrated more than 270 books show more including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, Meet the Barkers, Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs, and Oliver Button Is a Sissy. He has received numerous awards for his work including the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure. His murals and paintings can be seen in many churches and monasteries throughout New England. He has designed greeting cards, magazine and record album covers, and theater sets. His work is shown in galleries and museums. Tomie dePaola died on March 30, 2020 because of complications he had from surgery after a fall. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Tomie dePaola
The Three Friends and the Pumpkins / Go to School / and the Apples / and the Leaves (2000) 8 copies, 1 review
Strega Nona's Magic Lessons - Story and Picture by Tomie de Paola - First Scholastic Paperback Edition, 1st Printing 1993 (1981) 3 copies
The Monsters' Ball 3 copies
Tomie De Paola 3 copies
Mice Squeak, We Squeak 2 copies
TOO MANY BUNNIES 1 copy
THE PRINCE OF THE DOLOMITES 1 copy
the par a bles of jesus 1 copy
My First Reader 1 copy
Snakes 1 copy
Book 4 1 copy
Book 5 1 copy
Rhyme Time 1 copy
The Popcorn Book 1 copy
Associated Works
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? (1977) — Illustrator, some editions — 1,896 copies, 6 reviews
The Rooster Who Went to His Uncle's Wedding: A Latin American Folktale (1993) — Foreword — 527 copies, 4 reviews
The Book That Changed My Life: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate the Books That Matter Most to Them (2006) — Contributor — 411 copies, 18 reviews
The Emperor's New Clothes : An All-Star Retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale (with Audio CD) (1998) — Illustrator — 259 copies, 6 reviews
Frida Kahlo: The Artist who Painted Herself (Smart About Art) (2003) — Illustrator — 257 copies, 10 reviews
Good Morning To You, Valentine: Poems For Valentine's Day (1976) — Illustrator — 92 copies, 5 reviews
Beat the Drum, Independence Day Has Come: Poems for the Fourth of July (1977) — Illustrator — 28 copies, 1 review
With Warmest Regards: A Celebration of Our Customers' Recipes And Traditions: Dayton's, Marshall Field's, Hudson's (1995) — Illustrator — 19 copies
The Rocking-Chair Ghost (1969) — Illustrator, some editions; Illustrator, some editions; Illustrator, some editions — 9 copies
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 6, February 1977 — Cover artist; Illustrator — 3 copies
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 4, December 1978 — Illustrator — 1 copy
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 11, July 1980 — Contributor — 1 copy
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 6, February 1978 — Illustrator — 1 copy
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 11, July 1978 — Illustrator — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- dePaola, Tomie
- Legal name
- dePaola, Thomas Anthony
- Birthdate
- 1934-09-15
- Date of death
- 2020-03-30
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Pratt Institute (BFA)
California College of Arts and Crafts (MFA | 1969)
Lone Mountain College, San Francisco, California, USA - Occupations
- writer
illustrator
artist - Organizations
- Newton College of the Sacred Heart, Boston (art teacher 1962-66)
San Francisco College for Women (teacher 1967-1970)
Chamberlayne Junior College, Boston (art teacher 1972-1973)
Colby-Sawyer College, New London, New Hampshire (associate professor, designer 1973-1976)
New England College, Henniker, New Hampshire (art teacher 1976-1978) - Awards and honors
- Caldecott Honor Award from American Library Association
Newbery Honor Award from American Library Association
USA nominee in illustration for Hans Christian Andersen Medal
University of Southern Mississippi Medallion
Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota
Smithson Medal from Smithsonian Institution (show all 11)
Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal (2011)
New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure
Regina Medal from Catholic Library Association (1983)
Society of Illustrators Lifetime Achievement Award (2012)
Children's Literature Legacy Award (2011) - Agent
- Whiteman, Doug
- Short biography
- [from Michael Bird-Boy, 40th anniversary edition]
TOMIE dePAOLA is one of the most popular children's book authors and illustrators of our time and the winner of the 2011 Children's Literature Legacy Award for "significant and lasting contribution to children's literature", among other lifetime achievement awards. A Newbery Honor winner, he has written and illustrated a number of books, including Caldecott Honor book Strega Nona and its companions, as well as Oliver Button Is a Sissy; The Legend of Old Befana; The Clown of God; Michael Bird-Boy; Andy, That's My Name; and Quiet. A native of Connecticut, Mr. dePaola studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and now lives in New London, New Hampshire. - Cause of death
- a fall
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Meriden, Connecticut, USA
- Places of residence
- San Francisco, California, USA
New London, New Hampshire, USA
Boston, Massachusetts, USA - Place of death
- Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center)
- Burial location
- Weston Priory, Weston, Vermont, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
When St. Nicholas comes to the Country Angels to let them know they will be in charge of Heaven's Christmas celebration this year, everyone has a task to accomplish. From Adasa the Kitchen Angel, who sets out to prepare a feast, to the singers amongst the Music Angels, occupied practicing their songs, everyone is busy. Everyone that is, except the three littlest angels, Ari, Pip and Kira, who are continually told their are too small to be of help. Fortunately, St. Nicholas discovers this show more problem, and helps them to find a job that is very important after all...
I grew up on author/illustrator Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona books, as well as his wonderful The Clown of God, which was a childhood favorite, and have been exploring more of his work recently. I wasn't sure what to expect with Country Angel Christmas, as the story sounds rather quirky, but in the end I found it sweet and heartwarming. Though the cast of characters is angelic, children will be able to identify with Ari, Pip and Kira, who want to participate in all of the preparations, but are always being told they are too young and small. The artwork here is vintage dePaola—I particularly liked St. Nicholas' plaid flannel jacket and cap!—and adds to the fun. I don't know that this is one of the creator's best, nor that it will become a Christmas favorite, but I'm glad to have read it. Recommended to dePaola fans at the holidays, and to picture book readers who sometimes feel as if they are being excluded, for being too young or too small. show less
I grew up on author/illustrator Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona books, as well as his wonderful The Clown of God, which was a childhood favorite, and have been exploring more of his work recently. I wasn't sure what to expect with Country Angel Christmas, as the story sounds rather quirky, but in the end I found it sweet and heartwarming. Though the cast of characters is angelic, children will be able to identify with Ari, Pip and Kira, who want to participate in all of the preparations, but are always being told they are too young and small. The artwork here is vintage dePaola—I particularly liked St. Nicholas' plaid flannel jacket and cap!—and adds to the fun. I don't know that this is one of the creator's best, nor that it will become a Christmas favorite, but I'm glad to have read it. Recommended to dePaola fans at the holidays, and to picture book readers who sometimes feel as if they are being excluded, for being too young or too small. show less
Bobby must contend with some unwelcome changes when Bob, his beloved grandfather, has a stroke. Used to doing everything with Bob, Bobby finds it distressing when the stroke takes him away, and then returns him a different man. Some things haven't changed however, and the most important of those is the love between grandson and grandfather, and soon Bobby is helping to teach Bob all the things—like speaking and walking—that his elder once taught him...
Originally published in 1981, Now show more One Foot, Now the Other is another one of those poignant and ultimately heartwarming family stories from author/illustrator Tomie dePaola, billed as a companion to his 1973 Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs. Like that earlier picture book, it features the loving bond between a young child and his grandparents, and the grief and confusion when illness (or death, in the earlier book) causes a separation. The story here had me tearing up a little bit, given the role reversal between Bob and Bobby, something that I think I found particularly moving owing to the fact that I am currently the caregiver for my elderly mother, who has dementia. I certainly found something I could relate to here, and I suspect many young children with elderly relatives might as well. The accompanying illustrations are trademark dePaola—I'd recognize them anywhere—and have a certain vintage appeal. Recommended to anyone seeking picture books about children and their grandparents, and stories about strokes and other illnesses in our elderly loved ones. show less
Originally published in 1981, Now show more One Foot, Now the Other is another one of those poignant and ultimately heartwarming family stories from author/illustrator Tomie dePaola, billed as a companion to his 1973 Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs. Like that earlier picture book, it features the loving bond between a young child and his grandparents, and the grief and confusion when illness (or death, in the earlier book) causes a separation. The story here had me tearing up a little bit, given the role reversal between Bob and Bobby, something that I think I found particularly moving owing to the fact that I am currently the caregiver for my elderly mother, who has dementia. I certainly found something I could relate to here, and I suspect many young children with elderly relatives might as well. The accompanying illustrations are trademark dePaola—I'd recognize them anywhere—and have a certain vintage appeal. Recommended to anyone seeking picture books about children and their grandparents, and stories about strokes and other illnesses in our elderly loved ones. show less
Jamie O'Rourke was the laziest man in Ireland, leaving all of the hard work of cultivating potatoes to his wife Eileen. When Eileen took to her bed after a back injury, and Jamie was left to fend for himself, that hapless layabout ended up embroiled in an adventure with a leprechaun, winning, not a pot of gold, but the seed for the biggest potato in the world. The VERY big potato which grew from this seed proved a challenge to dig up and consumer, but fortunately the local villagers were show more there to lend a hand, and after a year of endless potato dishes, decided to step in when Jamie proposed planting another seed...
Published in 1992, Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato was the first of two picture books from author/illustrator Tomie dePaola devoted to the doings of the eponymous hero, followed in 2000 by Jamie O'Rourke and the Pooka. It was published as part of dePaola's own Whitebird Books collection, an imprint of G.P. Putnam's Sons that was active in the early 1990s, and which included a number of folk tales from around the world. As with all of the other titles I have read from this collection, no attribution is given for the folktale in question, something which I generally dislike, as I want to know the source material for such stories. Leaving that aside, this was an entertaining book, pairing a humorous tale with dePaola's trademark illustrations. The lazy fool who is rewarded is a definite character type in folklore, so it was interesting to see this Irish variant. I just wish I knew where dePaola had found it! Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone looking for funny folktales from Ireland. show less
Published in 1992, Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato was the first of two picture books from author/illustrator Tomie dePaola devoted to the doings of the eponymous hero, followed in 2000 by Jamie O'Rourke and the Pooka. It was published as part of dePaola's own Whitebird Books collection, an imprint of G.P. Putnam's Sons that was active in the early 1990s, and which included a number of folk tales from around the world. As with all of the other titles I have read from this collection, no attribution is given for the folktale in question, something which I generally dislike, as I want to know the source material for such stories. Leaving that aside, this was an entertaining book, pairing a humorous tale with dePaola's trademark illustrations. The lazy fool who is rewarded is a definite character type in folklore, so it was interesting to see this Irish variant. I just wish I knew where dePaola had found it! Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone looking for funny folktales from Ireland. show less
Celebrated children's book author and artist Tomie dePaola retells the folktale concerning the giant Reprobus and how he became Saint Christopher in this appealing picture book. Living in the land of Canaan, Reprobus decided he wished to serve the greatest king of all, and soon set off to find him. When the king he selected showed fear of the devil however, he decided that it must be the devil he was meant to serve. Then the devil showed fear of Christ. Finding Christ was more difficult than show more finding kings and the devil, but with the help of a holy monk Reprobus was soon a Christian, and went to perform good deeds by using his great strength to carry travelers across a dangerous river. It was here, while carrying a seemingly small child, that he finally met Christ, and through his actions in bearing him through the raging waters, and carrying the weight of the world, became Christopher, the "Christ-bearer..."
Although I have read quite a few folktales concerning saints, I don't think I have encountered a picture book retelling of this specific story before, so I was interested to read Christopher: The Holy Giant. I've heard of St. Christopher of course, as he's the patron saint of travelers, and I've known people who wore St. Christopher medals, for protection. I was also vaguely aware of the tradition that he bore Christ across a river (as dePaola mentions in his note, there are numerous works of art depicting this incident), but I wasn't aware that he was a Canaanite, or that his original name, in the stories about him, was Reprobus. In Latin this means "rejected" or "base," and is the etymological root of the English word reprobate. In any case, I found the story fascinating, and also moving. There is significance, I think, in the fact that it proved easy for Reprobus to find and serve worldly kings and the devil himself, but that finding and serving Christ required more effort. It was also significant that Christ would be a heavy burden to carry, as he himself carries the weight of the world. There was much to ponder in this one, and I found the artwork as appealing as the tale. My absolute favorite book by dePaola, both as a child and an adult, is his The Clown of God, and I think it is in the telling of religious stories, like that one and like this, that his style is at its best. In any case, this is one I would recommend to those looking for stories about St. Christopher, as well as to fans of the artist. show less
Although I have read quite a few folktales concerning saints, I don't think I have encountered a picture book retelling of this specific story before, so I was interested to read Christopher: The Holy Giant. I've heard of St. Christopher of course, as he's the patron saint of travelers, and I've known people who wore St. Christopher medals, for protection. I was also vaguely aware of the tradition that he bore Christ across a river (as dePaola mentions in his note, there are numerous works of art depicting this incident), but I wasn't aware that he was a Canaanite, or that his original name, in the stories about him, was Reprobus. In Latin this means "rejected" or "base," and is the etymological root of the English word reprobate. In any case, I found the story fascinating, and also moving. There is significance, I think, in the fact that it proved easy for Reprobus to find and serve worldly kings and the devil himself, but that finding and serving Christ required more effort. It was also significant that Christ would be a heavy burden to carry, as he himself carries the weight of the world. There was much to ponder in this one, and I found the artwork as appealing as the tale. My absolute favorite book by dePaola, both as a child and an adult, is his The Clown of God, and I think it is in the telling of religious stories, like that one and like this, that his style is at its best. In any case, this is one I would recommend to those looking for stories about St. Christopher, as well as to fans of the artist. show less
Lists
Five in a Row (1)
Five in a Row (1)
Books About Boys (1)
Christmas Books (5)
Precious People (4)
Reading Rainbow (4)
4th Grade Books (2)
Sonlight Books (2)
Wordless Books (1)
Witchy Fiction (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 240
- Also by
- 89
- Members
- 97,861
- Popularity
- #93
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 1,965
- ISBNs
- 1,517
- Languages
- 14
- Favorited
- 48
