Tom

by Tomie dePaola

Overview

Tom dePaola’s classic illustrations accompany his heartwarming story about his relationship with his grandfather as a small boy.
 
“A delightfully offbeat vignette of boyish mischief reinforcing the bond between generations.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“DePaola champions the special relationship he had with grandfather. . . . Youngsters will bask in the delicious conspiracy between grandfather and grandson. . . . This book is a treasure.”—Booklist
 
“With gentle humor and his usual master of line and composition, dePaola conveys the strong bond of affection between Tom and little Tommy, from the photo-album snapshot of the proud grandfather holding a baby on the title page to the big hug of the mischief-makers that ends the book.”—Horn Book
 
“Touches of old-world humor add sparkle to the tale.”—Publishers Weekly 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698114487
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/16/1997
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	743,693
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 9.94(h) x 0.14(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

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 Children's Literature Legacy Award for lifetime contribution to children's literature in 2011.
DePaola has published almost 200 children's books in 15 different countries over the past 30 years. Among his most well-known titles are the Strega Nona series, 26 Fairmount Avenue, and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.
DePaola lives in an interesting house in New Hampshire with his four dogs. His studio is in a large renovated 200-year-old barn.

Hometown:

Connecticut and New Hampshire

Date of Birth:

September 15, 1935

Place of Birth:

Meriden, CT

Website:

http://www.tomie.com/main.html

Editorial Reviews

This autobiographical, typically sunny work celebrates the author's childhood bond with his grandfather. "Touches of old-world humor and wisdom add sparkle," said PW. Ages 4-8. (June)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

K-Gr 2-- As he did in Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs (Puffin, 1978) and The Art Lesson (Putnam, 1989), de Paola has used his own childhood memories to create a slice-of-family-life picture book. The simple, plain text tells of the close relationship between Tommy and his namesake grandfather, Tom. They read the comics together, act out poems and make up stories, and, in the final vignette, play practical jokes with discarded chicken parts (Tom is a butcher, by trade). The pictures are in the artist's familiar style, but they have more personality than some of his recent books in which the figures seem merely decorative. Tom and Tommy seem to be truly interacting rather than just posing in the same frame. There is a lively yet homey look to the characters and their surroundings. Although this book does not have the depth of feeling found in some of the author's previous titles, readers are given a fond glimpse of a grandfather who is a bit of a character and who, most importantly, loves his grandson. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY

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