DePaola was born inMeriden, Connecticut, to a family ofIrish andItalian heritage, the son of Joseph and Florence May (Downey) DePaola.[5] He had one brother, Joseph (nicknamed Buddy), and two sisters, Judie and Maureen. His paternal grandparents originated fromCalabria, where he set his well-known bookStrega Nona.[6] His bookThe Baby Sister is about Maureen being born.[7] DePaola was attracted to art at the age of four,[6] and credited his family with encouraging his development as an artist and influencing the themes of his works.[8]
The first published book that dePaola illustrated was a 1965 volume in theCoward-McCann series "Science is what and why":Sound, written by Lisa Miller.[8][13] The first that he wrote and illustrated wasThe Wonderful Dragon of Timlin, published byBobbs-Merrill in 1966.[8][14] His writing career spanned over 50 years during which he worked on more than 270 books. Close to 25 million copies of his books were sold worldwide, and were translated into over 20 languages. Perhaps his most well-known work,Strega Nona, was first published in 1975 and was a finalist for the covetedCaldecott Medal for best illustrated work.[6]
DePaola had two exhibitions in 2013-2014 at the Colby-Sawyer College. The first, called "Then" showed his early work during his formative years at the Pratt Institute and the influence Fra Angelico, George Roualt and others had on him. The second exhibition was of his later work, called "Now," came out close to dePaola's 80th birthday.[6]
DePaola was briefly married to a woman in the 60s, but later came out as gay.[17] He came out later in his life, tellingThe New York Times Magazine in 2019 that, for much of his career, "If it became known you were gay, you’d have a big red ‘G’ on your chest... and schools wouldn’t buy your books anymore."[18]
DePaola died at theDartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center on March 30, 2020, inLebanon, New Hampshire, according to his literary agent, Doug Whiteman. He was badly injured in a fall in his barn studio the previous week and died of complications following surgery. He was survived by his two sisters Judith and Maureen (the latter being his best friend) and many nieces and nephews.[20]
In 2011, dePaola received the biennialChildren's Literature Legacy Award from the U.S. children's librarians, which recognizes a living author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made "a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children".[3] The committee noted the wide range of his stories and his "innate understanding of childhood, a distinctive visual style, and a remarkable ability to adapt his voice to perfectly suit the story." It called Strega Nona, the wise Grandma Witch, "an enduring character who has charmed generations of children."[4]
For his contribution as a children's illustrator, dePaola was the U.S. nominee in 1990 for the biennial, internationalHans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition for creators of children's books.[22][23]
DePaola received a Caldecott Honor in 1976 (Strega Nona), the 1982Boston Globe-Horn Book Award (The Friendly Beasts: An Old English Christmas Carol), the 1987 Golden Kite Award (What the Mailman Brought), and a 2000Newbery Honor (26 Fairmount Avenue).[24] The Caldecott and Newbery Medals are the premier annualAmerican Library Association awards for picture book illustration and children's book writing, respectively.
He won the 2000 Jeremiah Ludington Memorial Award from the Educational Paperback Association for his cumulative "significant contribution to the educational paperback business".[8][26]
^abcdef"dePaola, Tomie".Children's Author/Illustrator Biographies. Educational Book & Media Association (edupaperback.org). n.d. Retrieved 2013-03-10. (Possibly reprinted fromMajor Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults, 2nd ed., Gale Group, 2002.)
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