HOT DOG is Doug Salati’s newest book. It was awarded the Caldecott Medal earlier this year.
Why am I mentioning Doug’s book today on the third anniversary of Tomie’s passing? Tomie was a mentor for the 2015 Sendak Fellowship. Tomie met Doug, a fellow, at the Fellowship site in Cambridge, NY. It wasn’t very long after that first meeting that Tomie asked Doug to illustrate his story, “In a Small Kingdom.” IN A SMALL KINGDOM became Doug’s very first book. So, Tomie would have been filled with pride when HOT DOG was awarded the Caldecott Medal.
Read Aloud Revival’s Sarah Mackenzie has just published her first picture book, A LITTLE MORE BEAUTIFUL: THE STORY OF A GARDEN. When Sarah visited several years ago, Tomie and Sarah sat in the barn at Tomie’s Irish grandparents’ dining room table and discussed her manuscript. He suggested some changes to the story and had wanted to illustrate it, but, of course, that didn’t happen. Nevertheless, he would have been happy for Sarah upon publication of her first picture book. A LITTLE MORE BEAUTIFUL can be ordered here:
https://waxwingbooks.com/
The USPS has now released information regarding the First Day of Issue Ceremony for Tomie’s Forever Stamp on May 5, 2023. Here’s the press release. (Tomie’s youngest sister, Judie Bobbi, is also expected to speak even though she wasn’t mentioned in the press article.)
https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2023/0322ma-usps-celebrates-award-winning-childrens-book-author-and-illustrator-tomie-depaola.htm
The USPS says they receive tens of thousands of stamp idea suggestions each year, yet publish on average only 25 new stamps each year. I’ll never know why Tomie was chosen to be the subject of a new stamp. No matter, I choose to think OF COURSE he was chosen.
Gosh, three years. Flashbacks to the morning when he fell continue to haunt me. Yet, it’s heartening to know he isn’t forgotten and we continue to benefit from his legacy. (Bob)
