REMEMBERING TOMIE on August 8, 2020

Tomie created this illustration for the Association of Booksellers for Children in 2004. It was used on the cover of their Best Books for Children catalog and on a poster promoting their campaign “Read with a Child! The most important 20 minutes of your day.”

It was one of my favorite drawings. Tomie had donated the original artwork to ABC to be used for their auction at BookExpo America. I tried to buy it from ABC before it was offered at the auction, but ABC decided instead to put it in the auction.

It depicts 70-year-old Tomie reading to some of his best known characters and to children. When I looked at the image today, I wondered why the characters were only from Penguin books. I am assuming he did it because Penguin was his exclusive publisher in 2004. (Bob)

Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality

ABC Read with a Child 2004.jpg

REMEMBERING TOMIE on August 7, 2020

Young Tomie wanted to attend Pratt Institute because his twin cousins, Franny and Fuffy, graduated from Pratt Institute in 1941. Tomie did attend Pratt and graduated in 1956.

In 2004, Tomie gave Pratt money for a scholarship and for the renovation of a studio space. The studio was named: “The Three Cousins: Tomie dePaola, Kathryn ‘Fuffy’ McLaughlin Abbe and Frances ‘Franny’ McLaughlin-Gill.”

Illustrations from THE BABY SISTER, published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Copyright 1996 by Tomie dePaola. Two illustrations in the book were used to create the one illustration of Tomie and his twin cousins. (Bob)

Three Cousins Pratt.jpg