Tomie dePaola: His Art & His Stories

Tomie dePaola is among the best known, best loved artist/authors creating books for children today. His art and his stories, filled with imagination, humor, elegance, and curiosity emanate from a love of life reflected in everything he does. Barbara Elleman, a critic in her own right, explores Tomie dePaola as artist and story-teller. The result is a fascinating, complete, and highly readable account which looks first at his life and then at the many genres he has drawn upon - autobiographical memories, folktales, Christmas themes, religious stories, and more. She shows patterns and motifs that thread through his work, points out major influences on his art, and gives a rare look at his fine art and his "non-book" designs. Ms. Elleman's thoughtful narrative and choices of art to illustrate Mr. dePaola's diverse styles bring a fresh appreciation to the work of this unique artist/author.