Illustration from FOUR SCARY STORIES, by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Copyright 1978, published by G. P. Putnam's Sons.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!
Illustration from FOUR SCARY STORIES, by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Copyright 1978, published by G. P. Putnam's Sons.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Happy Bithday!
Students in Mrs. Mondul's second grade class at Cypress Springs Elementary in Orlando, Florida sent birthday cards. Here is Joey's card. The note inside read:
"You are a great author and a great illistrater. I have read a lot of your books in class. Your pictures are great like I said. When I grow up I might want to be an author like you! You are awesome!"
Tomie: Thanks for the terrific bithday card. It's really terrific like I said.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Instructions on How to Turn 26!
The second grade students in Mrs. May-Stein's library class at Community Day School in Pittsburgh wrote magic spells in the spirit of Strega Nona's.
Here is Dylan's magic spell "To Make People Turn 26."
Ingredients: Bananas, Popcorn and Girl Scouts.
You say,
"Fat guy, old guy, fancy drum, too,
Ice cream cake,
Turn me 26 years old."
Poof!
Tomie: I've got bananas and popcorn. But, I need to find some Girl Scouts. Then, I'll say the spell, and "Poof," I will no longer be 75. I'll be 26!
Here is Dylan's magic spell "To Make People Turn 26."
Ingredients: Bananas, Popcorn and Girl Scouts.
You say,
"Fat guy, old guy, fancy drum, too,
Ice cream cake,
Turn me 26 years old."
Poof!
Tomie: I've got bananas and popcorn. But, I need to find some Girl Scouts. Then, I'll say the spell, and "Poof," I will no longer be 75. I'll be 26!
Mr. February
The 2010 Family Reading Partnership calendar came in today's mail. The illustration from THE BABY SISTER in which Tomie is imagining Aunt Nell reading to him is "February" in the calendar. The illustrations are also used as banners. The banners are placed on buildings in Ithaca, New York.
Good friend Jesse Joshua Watson has an illustration in the calendar, in addition to Aliki, Elisa Kleven and others.
(Jesse created a wonderful portrait of me for the site... www.threekissesfortomie.blogspot.com.)
www.familyreading.org
(Click "Programs," Click "Read to Me Banners and Calendars.")
www.jessewatson.com
Good friend Jesse Joshua Watson has an illustration in the calendar, in addition to Aliki, Elisa Kleven and others.
(Jesse created a wonderful portrait of me for the site... www.threekissesfortomie.blogspot.com.)
www.familyreading.org
(Click "Programs," Click "Read to Me Banners and Calendars.")
www.jessewatson.com
Not One of My Best Years
Luke M. is a student at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic School in Atlanta, and he likes 26 FAIRMOUNT AVENUE: I also agree with you about kindergarten. It was not one of my best years. I didn't like it when we had to take a nap because I found it to be a waste of time. One of my teachers was very strict and not very nice. This is not the school I go to now. But the other teacher was insanely nice and she loves children.
Tomie: I hope you're having better years.
Tomie: I hope you're having better years.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
"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?
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?
Dr. Strega Nona
The second graders in Mrs. Bashaw's class at Britton Elementary in Hilliard, Ohio imagined what Strega Nona would say or do to to help Tomie recover from hand surgery.
Strega Nona's Advice for Recovering From Surgery:
Take some deep breaths.
Stay calm.
Lay down in bed and rest your hand.
Don't do anything to hurt yourself.
Mix herbs, like mint and rosemary, in water. Then, drink it.
Mix milk and water. Then take a drink.
Make three wishes and blow three kisses.
Blow out three candles and wish for a speedy recovery.
Strega Nona would make a special potion and rub it on your wrist.
Strega Nona's Advice for Recovering From Surgery:
Take some deep breaths.
Stay calm.
Lay down in bed and rest your hand.
Don't do anything to hurt yourself.
Mix herbs, like mint and rosemary, in water. Then, drink it.
Mix milk and water. Then take a drink.
Make three wishes and blow three kisses.
Blow out three candles and wish for a speedy recovery.
Strega Nona would make a special potion and rub it on your wrist.
Real or Imagined?
Mrs. Bower's second grade class at Schurz School in Watertown, Wisconsin wrote a big letter with a couple of questions.
Q: How many books have you written so far?
A: I've illustrated 242 books, and I've written the stories for 121 of those books. Do you have all of my books?
Q: We just read OLIVER BUTTON IS A SISSY. We were wondering if you wrote this story about something that happened to you when you were young?
A: The story is loosely based on incidents from my life.
Q: How many books have you written so far?
A: I've illustrated 242 books, and I've written the stories for 121 of those books. Do you have all of my books?
Q: We just read OLIVER BUTTON IS A SISSY. We were wondering if you wrote this story about something that happened to you when you were young?
A: The story is loosely based on incidents from my life.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Olden Times
Fourth graders in Susan Page and Susan Turi's class at Montgomery Elementary in Montgomery, New York wrote.
Kali: What was it like being a kid back then?
Tomie: We didn't have McDonald's, or Burger King, or Disney World, or cell phones, or iPods, or Miley Cyrus, or the Jonas Brothers. Can you imagine?!
Ethan: How many Strega Nona books did you make?
Tomie: STREGA NONA'S HARVEST is the newest and the tenth.
Ethan: Is there other books for HELGA'S DOWRY or FIN M'COUL or THE MYSTERIOUS GIANT OF BARLETTA?
Tomie: No
Ethan: How many books have you sold?
Tomie: Over fifteen million.
Kali: What was it like being a kid back then?
Tomie: We didn't have McDonald's, or Burger King, or Disney World, or cell phones, or iPods, or Miley Cyrus, or the Jonas Brothers. Can you imagine?!
Ethan: How many Strega Nona books did you make?
Tomie: STREGA NONA'S HARVEST is the newest and the tenth.
Ethan: Is there other books for HELGA'S DOWRY or FIN M'COUL or THE MYSTERIOUS GIANT OF BARLETTA?
Tomie: No
Ethan: How many books have you sold?
Tomie: Over fifteen million.
Watch Out for Slick Sisters!
Evie Albert's third grade class at the Fox Chase Academics Plus School in Philadelphia wrote letters.
Camara: I heard that your favorite color is white and so is mine. You know I have a very slick sister who once put butter on the stairs and I slipped. The next night she put whipped cream on my face in my sleep and it was funny. Maybe we will meet sometime.
Tomie: Can you guarantee that your slick sister won't be with you?
Camara: I heard that your favorite color is white and so is mine. You know I have a very slick sister who once put butter on the stairs and I slipped. The next night she put whipped cream on my face in my sleep and it was funny. Maybe we will meet sometime.
Tomie: Can you guarantee that your slick sister won't be with you?
WC?
Mrs. Skipper's class at Britton Elementary in Hilliard, Ohio like the Bill and Pete books. "We are wondering in the book, BILL AND PETE GO DOWN THE NILE, what does WC mean on the bathroom door?"
Tomie: Excellent question! WC stands for Water Closet. Water Closet was the original name for a room with a toilet. My house has four water closets although three of them could correctly be called bathrooms as three of them have toilets AND showers.
Tomie: Excellent question! WC stands for Water Closet. Water Closet was the original name for a room with a toilet. My house has four water closets although three of them could correctly be called bathrooms as three of them have toilets AND showers.
Going, Going... Almost Gone!
"Drawings From the Heart: Tomie dePaola Turns 75" closes November 1, 2009. Here's a photograph, from July, of Tomie and Barbara Elleman at the entrance to the show. Barbara curated the show (and wrote TOMIE DEPAOLA, HIS ART & HIS STORIES, published in 1999).
ERIC CARLE MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART
125 West Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
413-658-1100
www.carlemuseum.org
Wassup Up, Doc?
Yesterday was one doctor's visit after another. First, Tomie met with the hematologist. The doctor decided to increase the medication dosage to combat Tomie's anemia in an effort to avoid the need for another blood transfusion at some future time.
Next was a visit to the Wound Healing Center at Concord Hospital for the third ultrasound MIST treatment. Tomie will have more MIST treatments next week. I believe the goal is to prepare the wound for a skin graft of manufactured skin.
The last doctor's visit was a follow-up appointment with the hand surgeon. The doctor will check in again with Tomie in two months, but for now, the doctor is satisfied. He's cautioned Tomie to frequently rest his hand while working. If I, Tomie's blog blogger, had a vote, I would vote against future autographings as I would rather Tomie saved his hand for writing stories and creating artwork.
Next was a visit to the Wound Healing Center at Concord Hospital for the third ultrasound MIST treatment. Tomie will have more MIST treatments next week. I believe the goal is to prepare the wound for a skin graft of manufactured skin.
The last doctor's visit was a follow-up appointment with the hand surgeon. The doctor will check in again with Tomie in two months, but for now, the doctor is satisfied. He's cautioned Tomie to frequently rest his hand while working. If I, Tomie's blog blogger, had a vote, I would vote against future autographings as I would rather Tomie saved his hand for writing stories and creating artwork.
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