"Mr. Carle, I presume?"

Last Sunday, the Carle Museum held two "Pancakes for Breakfast" breakfasts in the cafe. Tomie mingled amongst the tables to greet everyone.

When he approached one table of two children, a woman and a man, the woman said to Tomie, "Mr. Carle, I presume?" Tomie explained that he was not Eric Carle, and that he was Tomie dePaola. I wanted the woman to pose with Tomie for a photograph, for this note, but she was too embarrassed by her mistake.

Later that morning, a little boy said to Tomie, "I know who you are. You're Eric Carle." Tomie said, "No, I'm not." The little boy said, "Yes, you are. I saw the movie when you draw a dog."

Tomie maintains that you need to grow a beard, and try to look like Eric Carle before the Carle Museum will show your artwork.

Now that I think of it, has anyone seen Tomie dePaola, Eric Carle, Santa Claus and Henri Matisse together in the same place at the same time?