The Big Story

bigstory.ap.org/article/strega-nona-tomie-depaolas-stories-endure

Happy Feast Day

© Tomie dePaola

Happy Second Sunday of Advent

© Tomie dePaola

On a Mission

Tomie is a huge fan of the Mission Belt. It's not unusual for him to demonstrate its ease of use... for anyone who will watch and listen.

www.missionbelt.com

Still Alive

One of my publishers' book representatives was showing my newest book to a new, young book buyer. She said, "I didn't know he was still alive."

At the very least, I have to stay alive long enough to finish the illustrations for my Fall 2014 book, JACK. The illustrations should have been finished months ago.

Also, when I got distracted this fall during book autographings, I signed some books "Tomie 2015" instead of "Tomie 2013." I said at the time I wrote "2015," "I'm just being optimistic."

Fancy Writing

Some second graders in Shenandoah, Iowa, wrote letters and commented about my writing. For example...

"Dear Tomie d,
Your writing is fancy."

I couldn't agree more.

Calendar

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2014
"Tomie dePaola: Now"
Art from the mid-1970s until now.
(This is the second part of a two-part retrospective exhibition of Tomie's art. "Tomie dePaola: Then" was November 7 - December 20, 2013, and featured art from junior high school through the mid-1970s.)
September 19 - October 25, 2014
Opening Reception: Friday, September 19, times to come
(No autographing at the Opening Reception.)
Sawyer Center
COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE
New London, NH 03257

Sheilah Beckett

THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES,

Illustrations by Sheilah Beckett

1954 © by Simon and Schuster, Inc.,

and Artists and Writers Guild, Inc.

Tomie started seeing the work of Sheilah Beckett in CORONET magazine while he was in junior high school. He fell in love with it.

He especially loved this double-page spread when he was studying at Pratt. It was as if he was going to the ballet when he looked at this illustration.

Tomie wrote Sheilah Beckett a fan letter many years ago. He continued to send her Christmas cards each year. This year's card was followed by a note from one of Sheilah Beckett's sons. Sheilah Beckett had died in late November at the age of 100.

Look at this Facebook page to learn more about one of the artists Tomie loved as a young adult and art student.

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Art-of-Sheilah-Beckett/112433015441913

Tomie's Open Road Media eBooks

Just a reminder that thirteen of Tomie's best loved books, including AN EARLY AMERICAN CHRISTMAS, PATRICK: PATRON SAINT OF IRELAND, MARY: THE MOTHER OF JESUS and SONGS OF THE FOG MAIDEN, are in ebook form from Open Road Media. Some of the stories have been narrated by Tomie.

www.openroadmedia.com/search/?q=depaola

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

© Tomie dePaola

Tomie on TV... Online

WMUR-TV (ABC), Manchester, NH, featured Tomie on its Thanksgiving Day edition of "New Hampshire Chronicle."  Co-host Erin Fehlau and videographer Chris Shepherd visited Tomie at the "Tomie dePaola: Then" exhibit at Colby-Sawyer College, and at his home.  The "Chronicle" episode will be archived online for a brief period.  Here's the link to it:

www.wmur.com/new-hampshire-chronicle/Thursday-November-29th-Tomie-dePaola-Then-and-Now/-/13383450/23260064/-/y145ebz/-/index.html

Where in the World Is Turkmenistan?

I just received letters from several classes at the Ashgabat International School in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. I didn't know the exact location of Turkmenistan, so I looked on a map.

Happy Thanksgiving

© Tomie dePaola