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 Andy & Sandy Collection: When Andy Met Sandy; Andy & Sandy's Anything Adventure; Andy & Sandy and the First Snow;… (2017) 4 copies
Strega Nona's Magic Lessons - Story and Picture by Tomie de Paola - First Scholastic Paperback Edition, 1st Printing… (1981) 3 copies
Tomie De Paola 3 copies
The Baker Twins: Boss for a Day ( do one day the boss ( Penguin Children graded readers 2 ) )(Chinese Edition) (2012) 2 copies
Sarah und die Engelweihnacht 2 copies
Der Zaubertopf 2 copies
Bonjour, Mister Satie 2 copies
The Monsters' Ball 2 copies
Christophorus 1 copy
Die Heiligen Drei Könige 1 copy
Get Dressed Santa 1 copy
Die goldene Kugel 1 copy
The Cloud Book 1 copy
The Legend of the Poinsettia 1 copy
The Knight and the Dragon 1 copy
The Legend of BlueBonnet 1 copy
Charlie Needs A Clock 1 copy
In a Small Kingdom 1 copy
My First Reader 1 copy
Tomie de Paola 1 copy
Snakes 1 copy
Book 4 1 copy
Book 5 1 copy
Parker Pig, Esquire 1 copy
The monsters' ball 1 copy
My First Chanuka 1 copy
Three Friends Go To School 1 copy
Harvest 1 copy
Mice Squeak, We Squeak 1 copy
The Story of Three Wis Kings 1 copy
Rhyme Time 1 copy
Associated Works
The Book That Changed My Life: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate the Books That Matter Most to Them (2006) — Contributor — 389 copies
The Rooster Who Went to His Uncle's Wedding: A Latin American Folktale (1993) — Foreword — 377 copies
Beat the Drum, Independence Day Has Come: Poems for the Fourth of July (1977) — Illustrator — 27 copies
With Warmest Regards: A Celebration of Our Customers' Recipes And Traditions: Dayton's, Marshall Field's, Hudson's (1995) — Illustrator — 17 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 — 2 copies
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 11, July 1980 — Contributor — 1 copy
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 11, July 1978 — Illustrator — 1 copy
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 6, February 1978 — Illustrator — 1 copy
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 4, December 1978 — Illustrator — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- dePaola, Tomie
- Legal name
- dePaolo, Thomas Anthony
- Birthdate
- 1934-09-15
- Date of death
- 2020-03-30
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Meriden, Connecticut, USA
- Place of death
- Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
- Cause of death
- fall, complications
- Places of residence
- California, USA
New London, New Hampshire, USA - Education
- Pratt Institute (BFA)
California College of Arts and Crafts (MFA)
Lone Mountain College - Occupations
- writer
illustrator
artist - Organizations
- Newton College of the Sacred Heart (taught 1962-66)
- 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.
Members
Reviews
independent reading level: PK - 3 grade
awards:
None individually, though DePaola has received a bunch of cumulative recognitions.
awards:
None individually, though DePaola has received a bunch of cumulative recognitions.
independent reading level: Grade 2-3
Awards: Americas Awards 1994
Awards: Americas Awards 1994
I loved this book as a child, and I love it now. I even have a little Strega Nona doll in my library. I wish I had my own little magic pasta pot.
Lists
Wordless Books (1)
Witchy Fiction (1)
Christmas Books (5)
Reading Rainbow (4)
4th Grade Books (2)
Sonlight Books (2)
Five in a Row (1)
Five in a Row (1)
Books About Boys (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 263
- Also by
- 76
- Members
- 79,771
- Popularity
- #153
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 1,837
- ISBNs
- 1,475
- Languages
- 14
- Favorited
- 45
I grew up with The Clown of God, which was one of my favorite picture books as a child, and I never fail to be moved by its story of a man of talent who, growing old and finding the world a hard place, comes home to God by offering all that he has—both his performance and his life—as a gift. In the original, as I have learned, there is no death involved in this miracle, and while I am normally on the side of retelling traditional tales in their original form, here the changes made by dePaola create a truly moving story. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Tomie dePaola some years ago, when this 2018 reprint was published and I was managing a children's bookstore, and in the course of our conversation he told me that this new edition was a better representation, visually, of his original intention for the book, than the first edition from the 1970s. Apparently that first edition didn't get the colors quite right. He also told me that, of all his books, this was his favorite, something I was so delighted to learn, as it is also mine. The artwork is beautiful of course, in that vintage dePaola style, but it is the storytelling which is truly captivating, capturing the poignancy of growing old and of feeling cast aside and worthless, and the joy of discovering one has something still to give. Recommended to dePaola fans, and to picture book readers looking for miraculous stories touching on issues of aging, faith and bringing the best that one has to God. It would pair very nicely with Barbara Cooney's retelling of the original French version of the story, The Little Juggler.… (more)