>> I HAVE PUT TRIBUTE TO MY FRIEND, -- A REFLECTIVE TRIBUTE TO MY FRIEND, TOMIE DEPAOLA.
TOMIE APPEARED MANY TIMES WITH ME ON MY SHOW.
HE WAS A NATIONAL TREASURE.
HIS BOOKS WITH CHARACTERS LIKE S TEG N -- STREGA NONA AND BIG ANTHONY WILL BE FOREVER REVERED.
>> TOMIE DEPAOLA HAD A GIFT FOR CREATING STORYBOOKS ADORED BY CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS.
IN AN EXHIBIT IN LONDON ENTITLED TOMIE DEPAOLA NOW, THEY EXHIBITED SOME OF HIS MOST BELOVED CHILDREN’S BOOKS.
>> THESE GALLERY WALLS ARE COVERED IN ART FROM THE PAGES OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS WHICH HAVE BEEN BEDTIME FAVORITES FOR DECADES.
THE STORIES ALL DREAMED UP BY TOMIE DEPAOLA.
IN CELEBRATION OF HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY, COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE OPENED UP AN EXHIBIT FEATURING HIS ILLUSTRATIONS AND FINE ARTS.
THE SHOW TOMIE DEPAOLA NOW FEATURES HIS LATEST MASTERPIECE, A NEW VERSION OF THE APPLE PAINTING THEY GOT HIM NOTICED AT OUR SCHOOL.
>> I LOVE THIS COLOR.
I LOVE WHAT IT DOES ON THE CANVAS.
>> YOUR ART IS REALLY INCREDIBLE.
IT IS REALLY COLORFUL.
>> IT IS GORGEOUS, ESPECIALLY THE ONE OVER THERE, IT IS FROM A GROUP OF BOOKS THAT I GREW UP WITH AT HOME.
>> HE IS KNOWN FOR A CHARACTER CALLED STREGA NONA.
IT WON HIM THE TOP HONOR FOR CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATIONS.
TOMIE: I AM WORKING ON A TREASURE BECAUSE IT WILL BE 40 YEARS NEXT YEAR.
I LOVE DRAWING HER.
>> HE SAYS SHE IS NOW PART OF THE FAMILY.
OVER THE YEARS, HIS RELATIVES HAVE FOUND THEIR WAYS INTO HIS BOOKS INCLUDING GRANDFATHER TOM AND HIS ITALIAN GRANDMOTHER.
TOMIE: YOU DID NOT GET A MEATBALL AT MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER’S DINNERTABLE UNTIL YOU HAD A JOB.
WHEN I WAS 14, I GOT A JOB WORKING IN THE CONNECTICUT TOBACCO FIELDS.
I GOT A MEATBALL.
[APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER] >> HE IS STILL HARD AT WORK TODAY.
>> WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?
HE IS WHISTLING.
I HOPE A CHILD WILL SEE THAT AND START WHISTLING.
>> TOMIE RELEASED JACK AS HE TURNED 80.
THE SMALL PAINTINGS MADE ON SCRAPS OF PAPER IN HIS STUDIO INSPIRED HIS NEXT BOOK ABOUT A MAGICAL ROBE.
TOMIE: WHICH I DON’T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.
I AM SUPERSTITIOUS.
LIKE SOMEBODY WILL TAKE MY IDEA AND GET TO IT BEFORE I DO.
>> HE HAS MADE A LIVING OUT OF WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING CHILDREN’S BOOKS USING HIS VIVID , CHILDLIKE IMAGINATION.
TOMIE: THAT IS MY SECRET.
I CAN REMEMBER BEING A CHILD.
I REMEMBER THE THINGS THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO ME AS YOUNG PERSON.
I CAN REALLY GO BACK TO WHAT IT FELT LIKE BEING A CHILD.
CHILD.
>> KNOWING THAT HIS BOOKS HAVE WROUGHT PARENTS AND CHILDREN TOGETHER HAS BEEN A GREAT SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR THIS GREAT AUTHOR.
TOMIE: I AM NOT ANTI-DEVICE.
DEVICE DOES NOT TAKE THE PLACE OF A WARM LAP FOR BOTH PEOPLE.
>> HE FEELS PICTURE BOOKS AND ALSO BE A GREAT ART EDUCATION FOR YOUNG ASPIRING ARTISTS.
>> BETWEEN THE BOOKS, PAGES AND SOME OF HIS PAINTINGS -- OIL PAINTINGS.
>> IT WAS DONE SO QUICKLY AND WITH SUCH ECONOMY.
IT IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS THAT HAPPENED.
I DID IT AND I WENT "OH BOY, ARE YOU GOOD!" >> AFTER 60 YEARS AS A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST, TOMMY IS STILL PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS WORK AND NOT READY TO PUT HIS CAREER
ON THE SHELF.
TOMIE: IT WENT FAST.
I HAVE A LIST OF THINGS -- I WOULD HAVE TO BE 300 YEARS OLD.
I WILL HAVE TO START PAINTING WITH BOTH HANDS.
>> EVERY YEAR I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING A CHRISTMAS CARD FROM TOMIE DEPAOLA.
EACH YEAR IT IS A DIFFERENT DRAWING.
USUALLY A RELIGIOUS THEME.
ALWAYS A RELIGIOUS THEME.
AS WITH ALL OF HIS DRAWINGS.
THEY ALL TERRIFIC.
IS THAT LOVELY?
-- ISN’T THAT LOVELY?
MY SISTER KATE AND HER HUSBAND JEFF WERE STAYING HERE WITH ME.
THEY SAID YOU KNOW TOMIE DEPAOLA ? I SAID YES, HE LIVES JUST A COUPLE OF TOWNS OVER.
KATE WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPRESSED.
SHE WAS A SECOND-GRADE SCHOOLTEACHER IN MASSACHUSETTS.
KATE KNEW FIRSTHAND WHAT THE BOOKS WRITTEN BY TOMMY MEANT TO KIDS.
THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE LITERARY WORLD WHO COULD GRAB THE ATTENTION OF SMALL CHILDREN LIKE TOMIE.
YOU WOULD THINK THAT I WAS ON SPEAKING TERMS WITH THE DALAI LAMA.
KATE IS A GREAT TEACHER.
SHE HAS WON AWARDS.
THE LAST TIME I REMEMBER SEEING TOMIE WAS AT A RESTAURANT.
HE WAS WITH HIS FRIENDS CELEBRATING HIS BIRTHDAY.
WE CHATTED BRIEFLY AND I WISHED HIM A HAPPY DAY.
HE WAS AS CHEERFUL A PERSON AS I HAVE EVER MET.
PHOTOS OF HIM CAPTURE THAT ELVEN SPIRIT AND CHARACTER.
THE WORK HE DID, HE WAS A GENIUS.
THERE IS NO OTHER WORK FOR.
-- WORD FOR IT.
SLEEP WELL, DEAR FRIEND.
>> THIS IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE BOOKS.
>> YES.
>> IN A TOWN IN COLUMBIA, THERE LIVED AN OLD LADY EVERYONE CALLED STREGA NONA.
>> LET’S HAVE A TRUCE AND PRESTO, THE HOLIDAY SEASON WAS OVER.