How to pronounce Tomie dePaola: tommy de POW luh
Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1934 to a family of Irish and Italian background. His determination to create books for children led to a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an MFA from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California.
It drove him through the years of teaching, designing greeting cards and stage sets, and painting church murals until 1965, when he illustrated his first children's book, Sound, by Lisa Miller for Coward-McCann. Eventually, freed of other obligations, he plunged full time into both writing and illustrating children's books.
He named Fra Angelico and Giotto, Georges Rouault, and Ben Shahn as influences on his work, but soon found his own unique style. His particular way with color, line, detail, and design have earned him many of the most prestigious awards in his field, among them a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, the Smithsonian Medal from the Smithsonian Institution, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his "singular attainment in children's literature," the Catholic
Library Association's Regina Medal for his "continued distinguished contribution," and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration.
He published more than 200 children's books in fifteen different countries. He died in late March 2020 aged 85 due to complications following surgery.
Tomie dePaola's website
This bio was last updated on 09/10/2020. In a perfect world, we would like to keep all of BookBrowse's biographies up to date, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's simply impossible to do. So, if the date of this bio is not recent, you may wish to do an internet search for a more current source, such as the author's website or social media presence. If you are the author or publisher and would like us to update this biography, send the complete text and we will replace the old with the new.
Birdsall was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in the suburbs. She decided to become a writer at the age of ten - but she didn't start until she was 41. She worked first on other jobs, most notably as a ... (more)
If you enjoyed:
26 Fairmount Avenue
Try:
The Penderwicks
by Jeanne Birdsall
Polly Horvath grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her books include The Trolls, finalist for the U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 1999, Everything on a Waffle, a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 2002 ... (more)
If you enjoyed:
26 Fairmount Avenue
Try:
The Vacation
by Polly Horvath
We recommend 2 similar authors
Pieces of Blue
by Holly Goldberg Sloan
A hilarious and heartfelt novel for fans of Maria Semple and Emma Straub.
Clytemnestra
by Costanza Casati
Madeline Miller's Circe meets Cersei Lannister in this propulsive and richly drawn debut.
30 Copies to Give Away!
Few writers paint three-dimensional characters with such verve and humanism.
―Booklist (starred review)
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
