Children's Books Obituary

Tomie dePaola – RIP

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D. D. Degg March 30, 2020 1 minute 2 comments

Children’s book author/illustrator Tomie dePaola has passed away.

Thomas Anthony (Tomie) dePaola
September 15, 1934 – March 30, 2020

Earlier today Tomie’s publisher announced via Facebook:

We mourn the loss of a master storyteller. Tomie dePaola has passed away.
We extend our sympathy to his legions of readers, friends, and colleagues.

From Tomie’s website:

He has written and/or illustrated over 270 books, including Strega Nona, Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose, Oliver Button Is a Sissy, and 26 Fairmount Avenue. Nearly 25 million copies of his books have been sold.

Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Smithson Medal from the Smithsonian Institution, and the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Lifetime Achievement Award. The American Library Association honored him with the Caldecott Honor and Newbery Honor awards, and the Children’s Literature Legacy Award (called the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award until June, 2018) for “substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”

From the Associated Press notice:

In 2011, dePaola received a lifetime achievement award from the American Library Association.

“Tomie dePaola is masterful at creating seemingly simple stories that have surprising depth and reflect tremendous emotional honesty,” the committee chair Megan Schliesman said at the time. “They have resonated with children for over 40 years.”