New Releases by Tomie dePaola

Francis is so full of God?s love that he wants to sing His praises. His glorious singing inspires birds of every color, and even the sun and moon, to join him in joyful celebration. Tomie dePaola?s simple text and vibrant illustrations bring the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi to life for even the youngest children. And he reminds us how sweet it is to rejoice and give thanks for life and love.

The latest addition to the Newbery Honor award-winning 26 Fairmount Avenue series. World War II is raging in Europe, and Tomie finds that life has changed in many ways. Now he has to wear an extra sweater to school because they?re trying to conserve coal. Then tragedy brings the war home to the dePaola family, and all Tomie can do is ask ?Why?? Just as he did in I?m Still Scared, the first installment of The War Years, Tomie dePaola touchingly illuminates the emotional confusion of a child?s life during wartime.

After Jesus of Nazareth was baptized, he began his public life, and he performed many miracles. Inspired by Romanesque art, Tomie dePaola brings the New Testament to life as he retells the stories of twelve miracles in the Bible. The Miracles of Jesus begins with "the Wedding at Cana," the first miracle, when Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding feast. This is followed by other miracles Jesus performed, such as his calming of a storm, walking on water, and raising the dead to life. This delightful collection filled with memorable illustrations is perfect for sharing and reading aloud.

Celebrate the holiday with this charming book from the legendary Tomie dePaola. This board book is the perfect size for little hands, and makes a great addition to any Easter basket. The importance of family and sharing are beautifully shown in this board book all about Easter celebrations. Tomie dePaola’s bright illustrations and easy-to-follow text explain the traditions associated with this special holiday.

These laugh-out-loud stories from New Hampshire and Vermont are set during the four seasons of the year. The storyteller in his appealing dialect tells little-known tales, among them ?Mothah Skunk? and the night she had to move out with her kits because Sherman Curtis smelled so bad; the escapades of Big Gertie Benson, the lumberjacks? cook and a cousin of the Bunyans in the Midwest; and George Petty, who delivered the mail even during mud season by standing on the back of his horse with only his head sticking out. Interspersed throughout are comic style episodes as an unsuspecting tourist tries to get information from the ?locals.? A delightful preface about living in New Hampshire for the past thirty-five years and visiting the North Country since he was a boy, explains why Tomie dePaola has perfect pitch for the dialect and a genuine appreciation for these unforgettable characters and their understated humor. Perfect for reading aloud to the family or in the classroom with a glossary to help with the pronunciations, these tales are sure to be a hit with Tomie?s fans, young and old.

The latest installment in the Newbery Honor-winning series from Tomie dePaola First-grader Tomie dePaola experiences uncertainty in the weeks following the attack on pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. What are the grown-ups talking quietly about at home and even at school? why does his class have to go to the spooky furnace room for an air raid drill? why does the family hang thick black curtains over the windows? Tomie''s mother is there to comfort and explain the confusion, and Tomie feels better. but he''s still scared.

An illustrated collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes, including some well-known and some less familiar ones.

At the request of a kind duke''s loving daughter, La Colomba, a pure white bird, braves the bitter winter of the northern Italian mountains to sing for the gravely ill man.

When his grandfather suffers a stroke, Bobby teaches him to walk, just as his grandfather had once taught him.

The year 1940 is a very big year for Tomie--it''s the start of first grade, his first birthday, and the family''s first holiday season in the new house at 26 Fairmount Avenue. Illustrations.

Everyone needs vacation, so Tomie dePaola''s best-selling and beloved "grandmother witch" heads to the seashore! Lately Strega Nona has been distracted. She even gave Signore Mayor the wrong remedy for his headache. Then one night Nona has a dream about her Grandma Concetta, who has been in heaven for many years, and her little house at the seashore. Nona decides that she will take a vacation there. While Strega Nona is away, Bambolona will do the daily remedies and Big Anthony will do the chores. With these two left in charge, what could possibly go wrong?

Hace mucho tiempo—a long time ago—there lived a beautiful young woman named Adelita. So begins the age-old tale of a kindhearted young woman, her jealous stepmother, two hateful stepsisters, and a young man in search of a wife. The young man, Javier, falls madly in love with beautiful Adelita, but she disappears from his fiesta at midnight, leaving him with only one clue to her hidden identity: a beautiful rebozo—shawl. With the rebozo in place of a glass slipper, this favorite fairy tale takes a delightful twist. Tomie dePaola''s exquisite paintings, filled with the folk art of Mexico, make this a Cinderella story like no other. Please note that the majority of this text is in English, with Spanish vocabulary throughout.

When Jamie O''Rourke''s wife leaves him alone for a week, it''s up to Jamie to do the housework. But Jamie isn''t just the laziest man in Ireland, he''s also the messiest! When a magical pooka arrives unexpectedly and starts to do the dishes and sweep the house, Jamie thinks that maybe he''s the luckiest man in Ireland as well. But will Jamie''s good fortune-and his pooka''s housekeeping-last? Young readers will be giggling through Tomie dePaola''s delightfully funny sequel to Jamie O''Rourke and the Big Potato. "DePaola''s jaunty storytelling pace and his snappy Irish phrases give this tale extra sparkle." Publishers Weekly, starred review

The third in a series of DePaola''s memoirs vividly recounts the (mostly) serene days between the end of kindergarten and beginning of first grade.

When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

Moffie and Morgie want to play hide-and-seek with their friends at recess. But no one can agree on the rules! Will they ever get to play? Find out in this silly Level 2 reader.

Tomie can''t believe that anything could be more exciting than moving to a new house. Then he finds out that a new baby is coming. Will it be a sister? That''s what Tomie hopes. While he is waiting for her to arrive, there is plenty to keep him busy, including tap dancing lessons and the tryouts for a play about Peter Rabbit. Once again, Tomie dePaola takes us back to his childhood and shares the funny personal memories that make us all wish we could grow up at 26 Fairmount Avenue too.

Tomie dePaola''s glorious paintings are as luminous as the farolitos that light up on the Plaza in Santa Fe for the procession of Las Posadas, the tradition in which Mary and Joseph go from door to door seeking shelter at the inn on Christmas Eve.This year Sister Angie, who is always in charge of the clebration, has to stay home with the flu, and Lupe and Roberto, who are to play Mary and Joseph, get caught in a snowstorm. But a man and a woman no one knows arrive in time to take their place in the procession and then mysteriously disappear at the end before they can be thanked.That night we witness a Christian miracle, for when Sister Angie goes to the cathedral and kneels before the statue of Mary and Jospeh, wet footprints from the snow lead up to the statue.

Fans of Tomie dePaola’s kindly Strega Nona will love this charming look at the early days of her good-hearted but clumsy helper Big Anthony. From the day he is born, Big Anthony never pays attention. As a boy, he leaves the gates of the farm open and all the animals escape. As a young man off to make his fortune in the world, he accidentally “fixes” the leaning Tower of Pisa. Will Italy survive the hilarious mishaps of Big Anthony? “Readers of all ages can be grateful that dePaola continues to practice his magic so well.” —The New York Times Book Review “Big Anthony and Strega Nona certainly qualify as celebrities in the realm of picture books, and this latest installment will bring smiles to the faces of their young fans.” —School Library Journal

A Newbery Honor Book Tomie''s family starts building their new house at 26 Fairmount Avenue in 1938, just as a hurricane hits town, starting off a busy, crazy year. Tomie has many adventures all his own, including eating chocolate with his Nana Upstairs, only to find out--the hard way--that they have eaten chocolate laxative. He tries to skip kindergarten when he finds out he won''t learn to read until first grade. "I''ll be back next year," he says. When Tomie goes to see Snow White, he creates another sensation. Tomie dePaola''s childhood memories are hilarious, and his charming illustrations are sure to please. "A thoroughly entertaining and charming story."—School Library Journal "DePaola successfully evokes the voice of a precocious, inquisitive five-year-old everyone would want to befriend. Charming black-and-white illustrations animate the scenes and add a period flare, including a photo album-like assemblage of the characters'' portraits at the book''s start."—Publishers weekly

This is the beloved Strega Nona''s own story, every detail just as she remembers it, from her childhood with Grandma Concetta, who trained young Nona and her best friend Amelia, to her early days in the little house on the hill and the happy moments when she met Big Anthony and Bambolona. It is the story of a most fascinating life that has influenced and delighted countless children and adults all over the world, and it all starts with the night Strega Nona was born, when the wind was blowing dark storm clouds across the hills . . . It''s no surprise that award-winning author and artist Tomie dePaola was Strega Nona''s choice as her biographer and portraitist, for he has put into books many stories that she has shared with him over the years, including Strega Nona (a Caldecott Honor Book), Strega Nona Meets Her Match, Strega Nona Takes a Vacation, Strega Nona''s Harvest, Strega Nona''s Gift, and Strega Nona Does It Again. Strega Nona''s reaction when shown this book was, "Bravissimo, mio caro Tomie!"

Presenting a delightful collection of children''s favorite Mother Goose rhymes, illustrated with full-color paintings by Tomie dePaola. Young readers and their parents will enjoy meeting up with familiar friends, including Old King Cole, Little Bo-Peep, Jack and Jill, and many more in a book that is sure to be a story-hour favorite.

Little Jane Allison Crocodile has been kidnapped by the Bad Guy''s Big Bad Brother from Louisiana! Stowing away on a ship bound for New Orleans, Bill and his bird buddy, Pete, head to the rescue. But when Pete gets caught by the Rich Lady, it''s up to Bill to save the day. Kids and parents everywhere will love Tomie dePaola''s hilarious story featuring the Egyptian pair''s first visit to the United States.

What happens when a sheepish knight and a not-so-fierce dragon fight for the very first time? Well, it''s no ordinary battle since the knight has to go to the castle library to learn about dragon-fighting and the dragon must dig through his ancestor''s things to find out how to fight a knight! "Spontaneity of line and feeling are backed by zesty colors and a jovial, tongue-in-cheek tone to which children can relate—a top springtime choice." —Booklist "There''s a swirl of good-humored life to the book." —The New York Times Book Review

In Mexico, the poinsettia is called flor de la Nochebuenao flower of the Holy Night. At Christmastime, the flower blooms and flourishes, the quite exquisite red stars lighting up the countryside. This Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia came to be, through a little girl''s unselfish gift to the Christ Child. Beloved Newbery honor-winning author and Caldecott honor-winning illustrator Tomie dePaola has embraced the legend using his own special feeling for Christmas. His glorious paintings capture not only the brilliant colors of Mexico and its art, but also the excitement of the children preparing for Christmas and the hope of Lucida, who comes to see what makes a gift truly beautiful.

Tommy knows he wants to be an artist when he grows up. He can''t wait to get to school and have real art lessons. When Tommy gets to school and finds out that the art lessons are full of "rules", he is surprised and dismayed. How the wise art teacher finds a way to give Tommy the freedom to create and stay within the "rules" makes a wonderfully perceptive picture book about growing up and keeping one''s individuality. Tomie dePaola is the author and illustrator of many beloved books for children, including the Caldecott Honor Book Strega Nona. Fans of all ages will be pleased to hear that The Art Lesson is, in fact, based on the artist''s own experiences growing up, and offers a welcome glimpse into his past. This bright picture book is as covered with drawings as the walls of Tommy''s parents'' and grandparents'' houses, and sends an inspirational message to budding artists and individualists. Break out the crayons!

A hilarious read-aloud inspired by Irish folklore that’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, featuring colorful artwork in Tomie dePaola’s signature style. Jamie O''Rourke is the laziest man in all of Ireland, far too lazy to help his wife on their farm. Then, after a chance encounter with a leprechaun, Jamie finds himself growing the biggest potato in the world. But what will happen when the potato grows too large for Jamie and the villagers to handle?

Have a Strega Nona Fall as Tomie dePaola’s beloved and bestselling "grandmother witch" gets some friendly competition in this beloved addition to the series! Strega Nona has cures for warts and headaches, even lovesickness. She uses old-fashioned potions and magic and the villagers in Calabria flock to her door. But when her friend Strega Amelia comes over the mountain for a visit, she brings more than just gossip. Soon she''s set up her own shop, using the latest modern gadgets, offering sweets and cappuccino—to all of Strega Nona''s regulars! Looks like Strega Nona''s met her match, unless she can come up with a cure for Strega Amelia! "A pleasure to read aloud, this features the broad humor that young children relish."—Booklist

It''s a new school year, as William Everett Crocodile and his trusty friend and toothbrush, Pete, prepare for a class trip down the Nile. They''re ready for the mysterious Sphinx. They''re ready for mummies and pyramids. Their teacher, Ms. Ibis, has even promised them a glimpse of the priceless jewel called "the Sacred Eye of Isis." But are Bill and Pete ready for the Bad Guy, up to his usual no-good tricks? Come along on this fast-paced and funny adventure with Bill and Pete, and find out.

In spring, the hills and meadows of Texas and Wyoming are ablaze with the reds, oranges, and yellows of the Indian Paintbrush. How this striking plant received its name is told in an old Indian legend. Many years ago, when the People traveled the Plains, a young Indian boy had a Dream-Vision in which it was revealed that one day he would create a painting that was as pure as the colors of the evening sky at sunset. The boy grew up to become the painter of the tribe, but although he found a pure white buckskin for a canvas and made paints from the brightest flowers and the reddest berries, he could not capture the sunset. How the young Indian artist finally fulfills his Dream-Vision is lovingly told and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, in words and pictures that capture the spirit and beauty of this dramatic legend.