Tomie dePaola's colorful tale of a boy's quest to find a new home features a menagerie of animal friends and sounds, sure to delight young readers.
Beloved author-illustrator Tomie dePaola’s take on traditional “Jack tales”—in which a young hero ventures out to seek his fortune and gains it through luck or pluck—is perfect for preschoolers. His hero’s reward is a wealth of animal friends who increase in number—and volume—as the story progresses. When Jack sets out to see the world and find a place of his own, he’s surprised to attract a following of enthusiastic animal friends eager to join him on his quest. Jack and his entourage all have high hopes that they will find just what they are looking for as they travel on their merry way. Children will delight in the cumulative chorus of animal sounds as the pages get more and more crowded with the residents of this delightful kingdom.
Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1934, to a family of Irish and Italian background. His determination to create books for children led to a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an MFA from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California.
His particular way with color, line, detail, and design have earned him many of the most prestigious awards in his field, among them a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, the Smithsonian Medal, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his "singular attainment in children's literature," the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal for his "continued distinguished contribution," and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration, and received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for lifetime contribution to children's literature in 2011.
DePaola published over 250 children's books in 15 different countries. Among his most well-known titles are the Strega Nona series, 26 Fairmount Avenue, and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.
Tomie dePaola lived in New Hampshire, and worked in a 200-year-old renovated barn. He died on March 30, 2020.
Tomie dePaola is the acclaimed author and/or illustrator of more than 200 books for children. He received the 2012 Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Society of Illustrators, and he is the recipient of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, given for a substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature. He has also received the Newbery Honor Award for 26 Fairmount Avenue and the Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona. He was awarded the Smithson Medal (from the Smithsonian) and the Regina Medal (from the Catholic Library Association), and was designated a "living treasure" by the state of New Hampshire. His Brava, Strega Nona, Strega Nona's Harvest, and Strega Nona's Gift were all New York Times bestsellers. He is the first author known primarily for children's book writing to be awarded the Sarah Josepha Hale award, a prestigious distinction in writing by a New Englander.
* "A wryly funny story of love and entitlement, with all the homey charm that dePaola's fans expect and love."--Publishers Weekly, starred review for Strega Nona Does It Again
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