Man of Many Hats

Tomie received an Honorary Degree at the Pratt Institute commencement ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on May 18, 2009. Here he is at the Mercer Hotel, after commencement, with one of his guests at commencement, Anne Taylor Davis.

A New Chapter Book!

From the front flap:
With sensitivity and humor, Tomie dePaola shares recollections of life during World War II in this emotional addition to the Newbery Honor-winning 26 Fairmount Avenue series.

Book 8, FOR THE DURATION, is on sale today!

Tomie (Hearts) Christmas (Cactuses) in July

Tomie (Hearts) Meadow Rue

Click on the photo to get a better look.

If Brita Can Draw Sheep, You Can, Too!

Brita is a "mature" woman who lives in Sweden. Tomie met Brita and her daughter, Anne Marie, last summer. Brita recently visited Anne Marie at Anne Marie's nearby mountaintop home. Tomie entertained Brita for dinner on her last night in the US, and taught her how to make sheep. Here are some of the sheep she drew at home in Sweden.

You, too, can learn how to draw sheep in "Tomie Live in Concert," available in VHS videotape and DVD formats from Morgan Hill Bookstore (603-526-5850).

Tomie (Hearts) New Hampshire

www.nhdreamvacation.com
Click "Celebrities" in the top toolbar.

Tomie (Hearts) Hollyhocks

Celebs at the Carle Museum: Diane deGroat and Cathy Bonnell

Diane deGroat, left, author and illustrator, Cathy Bonnell, right, school librarian from Phoenix, attended the Members' Opening for "Drawings From the Heart: Tomie dePaola Turns 75," at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art on Saturday, July 18, 2009.

www.dianedegroat.com

Tomie (Hearts) Bee Balms

Celebs at the Carle Museum: Rebecca Doughty

Rebecca Doughty and her husband attended the Members' Opening for "Drawings From the Heart: Tomie dePaola Turns 75," at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art on Saturday, July 18, 2009.

www.rebeccadoughty.com

Tomie (Hearts) Echinaceas

Celebs at Spring Ledge Farm

After Mary Ann and Tomie's "chance" meeting at Spring Ledge Farm, this photo was taken of Tomie, Mary Ann Esposito (host of "Ciao Italia") and Greg Berger (owner of Spring Ledge Farm).

www.ciaoitalia.com
www.springledgefarm.com

Celebs at the Carle Museum: Jane, Ian and Will Hillenbrand

The talented Will Hillenbrand, his wife, Jane, and their son, Ian, drove from Ohio to attend the Members' Opening for "Drawings From the Heart: Tomie dePaola Turns 75," at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art on Saturday, July 18.

www.willhillenbrand.com

Tomie (Hearts) Gooseneck Loosestrife

The Cast and Crew of "Ciao Italia: Cardoons"

Left to Right:
Colleen (Tomie's friend and helper for this shoot), Greg (owner of Spring Ledge Farm - grower of the cardoons), Mary Ann Esposito (host/star/talent), Tomie (star/talent), Donna (Mary Ann's helper), Patrick (director's helper for this shoot), Cindy (videographer), Paul (director)

The "Ciao Italia" episode on cooking with cardoons will air on some Public Television stations during the new season that begins in March of 2010.

When Mary Ann decided she wanted to cook with cardoons, she discovered that Spring Ledge Farm in New London was one of the few places that sold cardoons. It then became a perfect opportunity for Mary Ann to work with Spring Ledge Farm, and Tomie, who lives near Spring Ledge Farm. The photo (click to enlarge) was taken in Tomie's kitchen at the end of the filming.

Tomie (Hearts) Yarrows

Celebs at the Carle Museum: Gina and Jarrett Krosoczka

Gina and Jarrett Krosoczka, the "Hot Couple of Children's Literature," at the Members' Opening for "Drawings From the Heart: Tomie dePaola Turns 75," at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art on Saturday, July 18.

Laughing and Talking with Tomie

Tomie is featured in the July, 2009, issue of BOOK LINKS, thanks to two articles by Barbara Elleman: "From Strega Nona to Fairmount Avenue, Laughing Along with Tomie dePaola" and "Talking with Tomie dePaola."

Tomie (Hearts) Hostas

"Drawings From the Heart: Tomie dePaola Turns 75" Exhibition Private Tour

Late yesterday afternoon, Tomie gave a Private Tour of the exhibition. This is the group photo in front of a mural by Eric Carle.

Notables in the group:
Front Row, Second From Left:
Alix Kennedy, Executive Director, Carle Museum
Front Row, Fourth From Left:
Motoko Inoue, Director of Publishing and Merchandising, Eric Carle Studio
Standing Next to Tomie with a Yellow and Black Top:
Cathy Bonnell, a school librarian from Phoenix
Back Row, Far Right:
Diane deGroat, author and illustrator

"Drawings From the Heart: Tomie dePaola Turns 75" Exhibition Catalog

"DRAWINGS FROM THE HEART: TOMIE DEPAOLA TURNS 75" opened at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts, on July 3. The exhibition of over 75 pieces of original artwork remains open until November 1, 2009.

The wonderful exhibition catalog is available for purchase from the Carle Museum.

www.carlemuseum.org
Click "Shop"
Click "Exhibitions"

Visitors From the Far West

Dee Hoover and Stephen Beal took time today from their family visits in Connecticut to meet Tomie at his studio in New Hampshire. Stephen is the president of the California College of the Arts. Tomie received his Master of Fine Arts at CCA in 1969 (then called California College of Arts & Crafts).

www.cca.edu

Tomie (Hearts) Shield-Leaf Roger's Flowers

Happy Fourth of July!

The artist is Becky who is almost seven years old. She is a student at Green's Farm School in Westport, Connecticut.

MY MOTHER IS SO SMART!

The first proof of the jacket for MY MOTHER IS SO SMART came yesterday. Front jacket flap: "Tomie dePaola's heartfelt ode to the fabulousness of moms is a perfect book for the whole family to share." On Sale: March 18, 2010.

Computer Whiz in the House

Caroline Litwack visited this week with her mother, Sherry. Caroline helped Tomie with internet questions while Sherry organized artwork.

Girlfriend Number Twelve

Third grade students at Davy College in Cajamarca in the Andes of Peru had ideas for a story called BIG ANTHONY DISOBEYS AGAIN.

Yajaira and Rosa's story idea (the abridged version) is:
Strega Nona had a maid called Big Anthony who helped her to do the house chores. Strega Nona told him not to touch the flying carpet. The flying carpet takes you to a magic place called Happyland. There you can see a fairy, a castle and you can become a princess.

Strega Nona sings a special song to make the flying carpet fly. To come back home, Strega Nona sings a different song, and then claps three times. One day Big Anthony saw Strega Nona singing the songs, but he didn't see her clapping three times.

The next day he told everybody about the flying carpet and all the people laughed at him. His twelfth girlfriend called Cecilia told him, "It's over!" He was sad.

The other day he took the flying carpet, he sang the song and the carpet started to fly. He went to Happyland. One hour later he wanted to stop the flying carpet and go back home. He sang the song, but he didn't do the three claps so the carpet got crazy and Big Anthony thought that he was going to fall down.

When Strega Nona came back she noticed that Big Anthony disappeared so she knew that he disobeyed her again. To solve the problem, she went back to look for Big Anthony in Happyland.

The consequence for Big Anthony was to be the employee of Happyland for five years without being allowed to go back to town to see his girlfriend number twelve called Cecilia.

Tomie (Hearts) Carolina Lupines

Tomie (Hearts) Country Girl Diner (Chester, Vermont) and Their Tomato Corn Chowder

On the Road Again

Yesterday was the annual trip to the Weston Playhouse in Weston, Vermont, with Connie (left) and Peggy (right), co-owners of Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London, New Hampshire. Here we are in the restaurant at the Inn at Weston. (It seems as if no matter how young or how old you are, "rabbit ears" are tempting and still funny.)

The yearly routine. Have lunch at the Country Girl Diner (Chester, Vermont) so that Tomie can have the tomato corn chowder. Go to Weston Priory, shop at the Vermont Country Store, and visit other shops in Weston, Vermont. Eat dinner at the Inn at Weston, and later see a production at the Weston Playhouse.

Although the weather was dreadful, it was a nice outing.

www.westonpriory.org
www.vermontcountrystore.com
www.innweston.com
www.westonplayhouse.org
www.morganhillbookstore.com

Happy Canada Day!

Shout out to Jennette in Vancouver!

How will Jennette celebrate today? Will she write a short (around 25 pages) handwritten letter to Tomie? Will she bake a second place fruitcake? Will she write a poem and recite it, with gusto, in public? Will she have a Rum & Coke? Or, several Rum and Cokes? And, will she dance around the house groovin' to the tunes of her favorite group, the Jonas Brothers?