REMEMBERING TOMIE on August 12, 2020

Left to Right, the Bobbi Family: Patrick, Jeremiah, Jaxson, Rayne, Shelby. Tomie’s sister Judie’s son Patrick and his family visited yesterday from Connecticut. The mission: Remove two refrigerators from Tomie’s basement and take back to Connecticut. The problem: Steep bulkhead stairs with minimum depth steps. But, they did it!

I’ve known Patrick since he was a little boy. I thought it rather impressive what a nice family the adult Patrick has with Shelby. THE KIDS’ CAT BOOK (now TOMIE DEPAOLA’S CATS AND KITTENS) was dedicated to Patrick.

This is the bench in Tomie’s studio on which we staged a lot of photos with Tomie. (Bob)

Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality

REMEMBERING TOMIE on August 11, 2020

Here are Tomie and his childhood best friend, Jean Turco (Jeannie Houdlette in the books), in October, 2007. Jean and her husband, Lew, attended the Sarah Josepha Hale Award ceremony when Tomie received the prestigious award.

Young Tomie once told Jeannie that it was too bad she wouldn’t be going to heaven. The nuns said you had to be Catholic to go to heaven and Jeannie was not Catholic. Jeannie started crying and ran home. By the time Tomie got home, his mother Flossie was waiting for him to ask, “What did you tell Jeannie?” Flossie set the record straight for Tomie and Jeannie. (Bob)

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REMEMBERING TOMIE on August 10, 2020

Tomie created the art for the cover of the 1982 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. Neiman Marcus used the artwork to create a snowglobe in 2000. Tomie’s snowglobe is the one on the right featuring carolers and angels. The snowglobe plays “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.”

Here’s a link, sent to me by Sherry Litwack, to a wonderful article in THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE. https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=in-memoriam-tomie-depaola-1934-2020 (Bob)

Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality

Day Nine of the August, 2020, Peace Novena

Think and say “Peace.”

REMEMBERING TOMIE on August 9, 2020

Tomie autographed at the “China Closet on Main Street” at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in November of 1995. Tomie was on tour autographing the book COUNTRY ANGEL CHRISTMAS and Midwest of Cannon Falls ornaments inspired by the artwork in COUNTRY ANGEL CHRISTMAS. Mickey Mouse came to the autographing to meet Tomie. (Bob)

Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality