Tomie dePaola
Tomie dePaola
Thomas Anthony "Tomie" dePaola was an American writer and illustrator who created more than 260 children's books, such as Strega Nona. He received the Children's Literature Legacy Award for his lifetime contribution to American children's literature in 2011.
"If they want to be illustrators, theres no substitute for a very intensive training in art, and also the use of computers. There are adjunct jobs that are available in publishing that get your foot in the door, and there isnt a designer that doesnt have to use the computer these days. But they have to learn how to draw as well. Im old-fashioned. I think theres no substitute for basic skills."
"I never thought of that, really, when I was younger, but when I started doing some of the autobiographical picture books, I realized that my family was a great treasure trove. We were pretty ordinary — we werent really exceptional. I dont think my life growing up was really too much different from the average kid in Meriden, Connecticut at that time. But its very different from young people today, so I like it that older people my age feel that its helping them to remember their childhood. Little kids think its like life on a different planet."
