If you’ve ever read to a tiny kid, or been a tiny kid getting read to, chances are, you’ve encountered a book by Tomie dePaola. He was the author and illustrator of over 270 books, including childhood favorites like the tales of Strega Nona, and his most recent publications, Quiet, Wings, with Cheryl B. Klein, and I Will Talk to You, Little One with Phyllis E. Gann. His career spanned over 50 years of writing and illustration. Toie dePaola passed away on March 30, 2020. To honor and commemorate his memory, we wanted to share these resources:
Tomie dePaola Books
Enjoy a sampling of e-audiobooks from the Brooklyn Public Library collection to help you capture the magic of having dePaola's books read aloud in a cozy storytime.
On Tomie dePaola’s official site, you can find information about his books, along with interviews, videos, and some of his artwork.
Read-alouds and Interviews
A video interview with Tomie dePaola from Reading Rockets
Tomie talking about his stories from Open Roads Media
Strega Nona, as read by Tomie himself for NOOK online storytime
Actress Mary Steenburgen reads Strega Nona
The Jim Henson Company brought a number of dePaola’s stories to life with puppets in a series of “Telling Stories with Tomie” shows, which originally aired on the Hallmark Channel in 2001. Here is a sampling.
The Art of Tomie dePaola
Celebrate Tomie dePaola’s artwork by looking at his books or the artwork on his website, and drawing inspirations from his style.
Or by adding your own colors to his designs with coloring pages. Tomie dePaola Coloring Pages from Coloring Home, including a set featuring just Strega Nona
Here’s a template to make a pop-up book in the shape of Strega Nona’s pasta pot from Book Making with Kids
Learning Resources
For parents and educators, here are some learning activities to combine with Strega Nona stories from Around the Kampfire.
Educator’s guide to the work of Tomie dePaola, from Penguin, with lesson plans for different ages and different books
Celebrate Tomie dePaola’s life and work by reading together, making art, and most of all, enjoying good stories and shared memories with people who are important to you.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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