A new stamp by USPS honors Tomie dePaola (1934–2020), whose extraordinarily varied body of work encompasses folk tales and legends, informational books, religious and holiday stories, and touching autobiographical accounts. His illustrations are immediately recognizable by their clean, bold lines and uncomplicated shapes. Deceptively simple, dePaola’s stories contain layers of emotional meaning and appeal to readers of all ages.
The stamp art features a detail from the cover of “Strega Nona” (1975), a Caldecott Honor Book and the first in a popular series. The title character, “Grandma Witch” in Italian, uses magic to cure her neighbors’ ills and to help with matters of the heart. The stamp image shows her carrying her magic pasta pot.
Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with dePaola’s original art.
Fun Fact: Tomie dePaola has illustrated over 250 books and stories for over 100 books.
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