Tomie DePaola: His Art and His Stories
Fans of dePaola's work will gravitate toward this handsome oversized book that provides a critical overview and celebration of the subject's illustrious career. It begins with a biographical chapter and continues with sections about the author/artist's autobiographical tales, religious books, folktales, nonfiction works, collections, and drawings and paintings; a single chapter is devoted to his most famed creation-"Strega Nona." Well-chosen examples of dePaola's art effectively illustrate Elleman's critical insights; photographs and illustrations on nearly every page create an appealing presentation. While children will enjoy poring over the collected illustrations, they are not the primary audience for this scholarly text. Elleman's description of the influence of Italian Renaissance artists and those of other periods upon dePaola's work may serve as a useful educational point of departure for discussing artistic inspiration and art history. A well-crafted and thoughtful book.Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.