Tomie dePaola

First Day of Issue Date: May 5, 2023

First Day of Issue Location: Manchester, NH

With this stamp, the U.S. Postal Service honors prolific children’s book author and illustrator Tomie dePaola (1934–2020), whose extraordinarily varied body of work encompasses folktales and legends, informational books, religious and holiday stories, and touching autobiographical tales. Deceptively simple, dePaola’s stories contain layers of emotional meaning that appeal to readers of all ages.

The stamp art features a detail from the cover of Strega Nona. The first in a series, the book was published in 1975 and received a Caldecott Honor as one of the most distinguished picture books published that year. Set in southern Italy, the gently humorous story focuses on Strega Nona, “Grandma Witch,” who uses magic to help with matters of the heart and to cure her neighbors’ ills. The cover shows Strega Nona carrying her magic pasta pot. The small pink heart in the bottom right corner symbolizes the key ingredient to all of her magic: love.

The Strega Nona stories read like well-worn folktales, as do plenty of dePaola’s other works. Other books emphasize family relationships and draw on personal experience. “I’ve discovered,” he often reflected, “that children most respond to books based on my own life.” In 1999, dePaola published 26 Fairmount Avenue, the Newbery Honor–winning first book in a series of eight autobiographies that offer a detailed snapshot of his life and family, from the late 1930s through the turmoil of World War II.

Whatever the subject, dePaola’s illustrations are instantly recognizable. Characterized by bright but muted tones and flat, two-dimensional perspective, they offer a distinctive mix of Romanesque painting styles and traditional folk art. Simple shapes and bold, clean lines belie complex compositions. Objects that meant the most to dePaola—notably hearts and white birds—recur throughout his work.

DePaola tried to convey three fundamental truths in all his books: Success depends on hard work, happiness relies on embracing one’s true self, and love and kindness underscore all. In 1990, he was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition given to children’s book authors and illustrators. In 2011, the American Library Association awarded him the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now the Children’s Literature Legacy Award) for his “substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”

Derry Noyes served as art director and designer for this stamp.

The Tomie dePaola stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.

Tomie dePaola Stamps

$12.60

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Tomie dePaola Digital Color Postmark

Honor a beloved children’s book author and illustrator with thisTomie dePaola Digital Color Postmark First Day Cover. The #6 ¾ envelope is affixed with a Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue Postmark.

Tomie dePaola (1934–2020) created an extraordinarily varied body of work that encompasses folktales and legends, religious and holiday stories, and touching autobiographical tales. Deceptively simple, his stories contain layers of emotional meaning that appeal to readers of all ages.

The postmark includes the stamp’s name beside dePaola’s most famous character, Strega Nona. The date and location of stamp issuance are also included: May 5, 2023. Manchester, NH 03103.

$2.03

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Tomie dePaola First Day Cover

Honor a beloved children’s book author and illustrator with this Tomie dePaola First Day Cover. The #6 ¾ envelope is affixed with a Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue Postmark.

The postmark includes the stamp’s name beside a black-and-white peacock taken from one of dePaola’s illustrations. The date and location of stamp issuance are also included: May 5, 2023. Manchester, NH 03103.

$1.18

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Tomie dePaola Stamp Ceremony Memento

Tomie dePaola delighted children and adults alike with his heartwarming stories. Celebrate his life and work with this Tomie dePaola Stamp Ceremony Memento.

This new collectible contains the First Day of Issue Ceremony Invitation, the First Day of Issue Ceremony Program, a Digital Color Postmark First Day Cover, and a pane of 20 Tomie dePaola Forever® stamps.

$29.95

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Tomie dePaola Press Sheet with Die-Cuts

Don’t miss out on this collectible 21.72"(W) x 23.7"(H) press sheet, containing nine sheets of Tomie dePaola Forever® stamps positioned three across by three down.

$113.40

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Tomie dePaola Press Sheet without Die-Cuts

Don’t miss out on this collectible 21.72"(W) x 23.7"(H) press sheet, containing nine sheets of Tomie dePaola Forever® stamps positioned three across by three down.*

Tomie dePaola (1934–2020) created an extraordinarily varied body of work encompasses folktales and legends, religious and holiday stories, and touching autobiographical tales. Deceptively simple, his stories contain layers of emotional meaning that appeal to readers of all ages.

*The stamps on these sheets do not contain perforations.

$113.40

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Tomie dePaola Bookmark

Honor a beloved children’s book author and illustrator with this charming keepsake bookmark. The back of the bookmark bears an affixed Tomie dePaola Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue postmark.

$5.95

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Tomie dePaola Matted Stamp

Honor a beloved children’s book author and illustrator with this matted stamp that is ready to frame and display in your home or office. The piece is 5(w) x 5(h)-inch with a mounted Tomie dePaola Forever® stamp placed in the center.

$9.95

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Tomie dePaola Framed Stamp

Celebrate the beloved children’s book author and illustrator, Tomie dePaola with this 9.5"(W) x 11.5"(H) framed piece that features the art from the Tomie dePaola stamp along with a mounted Forever® stamp and the First Day of Issue details.

Showcased in a classic black frame, the piece also includes a clear dust cover, protective felt bumpers, and a sawtooth hanger on the back for easy display.

$29.95

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Stamp honoring 'Stega Nona' author Tomie dePaola gets release date

www.cbsnews.com

Tomie dePaola

Stamp Brief

First Day of Issue Ceremony

Stamp Art Director

Derry Noyes