New Releases by Tomie DePaola

A bumbling knight meets a clumsy dragon in a duel with an ending you'll never forget! What happens when a sheepish knight and a not-so-fierce dragon fight for the very first time? Well, it's no ordinary battle since the knight has to go to the castle library to learn about dragon-fighting and the dragon must dig through his ancestor's things to find out how to fight a knight! When they decide they're finally ready, their energetic faceoff is sure to elicit giggles, uh-ohs, and very satisfied cries of "Perfect!" at the heartening conclusion. "Spontaneity of line and feeling are backed by zesty colors and a jovial, tongue-in-cheek tone to which children can relate—a top springtime choice." —Booklist "There's a swirl of good-humored life to the book." —The New York Times Book Review

Five starred reviews! “A gentle delight, simultaneously honoring both the dog dePaola lost and the artist we lost in turn.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) This touching story about love, loss, and remembrance in the wake of losing a beloved pet is the final completed book written by beloved creator Tomie dePaola, with art by award-winning illustrator Barbara McClintock. Where are you, Brontë? The day you left me, I knew I would miss you. And I did. Every day, every night. But then, I knew you were right here, still with me, in my heart forever. Children’s book legend Tomie dePaola tells the emotional and deeply personal story about overcoming his grief after the loss of his beloved dog, Brönte.

Staying behind when their circus moves on, a young clown and a troupe of baby animals put on a special Christmas Eve show for an Italian village too poor to celebrate the holiday.

Tomie dePaola’s beloved 1983 classic returns to print just in time for the holiday season! Three wise men of the East, having seen a new star symbolizing the birth of a great king, follow the star to Bethlehem where they present gifts to the newborn Jesus. This beautiful rendition of the well-known tale is sure to delight young readers.

With its brightly colored illustrations, playful narration, and seasonal cheer, this rambunctious picture book from Tomie dePaola is sure to be a holiday favorite for the whole family. This year, Santa and Mrs. Claus are having their entire family over for Christmas dinner. There’s Uncle Alfred the inventor from Bermuda; Sister Olga the opera singer; eight young children, including Baby Willie; even a polar bear named Oscar. With a family like this, mayhem is bound to follow, and from a snowball fight to the Christmas pageant, it’s a wild affair. But in the spirit of the season, everyone has a wonderful time—even the frazzled hosts!

In this reissue of Tomie dePaola’s charming 1983 classic Marianna May and Nursey, a family works together to make sure Marianna May can make the most of her summer. Marianna May’s Nursey likes to dress her in white, which means Marianna May isn’t allowed to roll in the grass, or make mud pies, or eat orange ice and strawberry ice cream, or paint pictures because her clothes could get messy. But Marianna May doesn’t want to waste her summer staying clean on the porch. Can she and her family figure out a way for her to have fun without worrying about her clothes?

You see, clouds are fun, silly, and very interesting. Tomie dePaola—best-selling author of Strega Nona, Quiet, and many others—knows a lot about clouds. He also knows a lot about what people think of them. Some people see animals and pictures in clouds. The ancient Greeks believed that Hermes, the messenger of the gods, once stole the sun''s cattle, which were clouds. In this unique picture book, Tomie introduces some of the most common types of clouds, as well as the myths and legends inspired by their shapes. Simple, whimsical illustrations show the variations in shape and color that herald changes in the weather. This book will tell you many things about clouds we bet you didn''t know. Filled with his signature humor and gentle illustrations, Tomie dePaola''s approach to nonfiction is like no other. A Reading Rainbow book.

From New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Tomie dePaola comes an adorable springtime story about fifteen bunnies who are planting a garden! Spring is here! That means it’s time for the Hopkins family to plant their beautiful gardens. But when fifteen eager rabbits try to dig, rake, plant, and water at the same time, will any work get done? From award-winning author Tomie dePaola comes a charming story about what happens when you have too many bunnies, perfectly suited in a gifty board book.

From New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Tomie dePaola comes an adorable story about little lambs getting their spring haircuts! Winter is finally over! That means it’s time for the Woolsey lambs to get their spring haircuts! They can’t wait to have fun in the warm sun. But the next morning, the fields are covered in snow, and the newly shorn sheep are shivering! Luckily, Granny has the perfect surprise for the family in this delightful story from award-winning author Tomie dePaola, packaged in a gifty board book edition.

Fun facts and holiday cheer from the creator of Strega Nona and Quiet. While picking out their Christmas tree, a couple of curious kids start to wonder where Christmas trees came from. Who invented the first one? How did they become so popular? And how have they changed over the years? Celebrated children''s author Tomie dePaola is here to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about Christmas trees--and everything you never even thought to wonder about. With bright illustrations and kid-friendly text, Tomie dePaola''s Christmas Tree Book is full of facts, history, and legends. Instructions on making your own Christmas tree ornament are included!

Quicksand bringing you down? Kids will love this very funny science book. When Jungle Girl falls into some quicksand and starts slowly sinking, Jungle Boy arrives quickly-- and takes the opportunity to tell her how it is formed, what it is made of, and how to get out of it, demonstrating with charts and graphs. Meanwhile, Jungle Girl sinks lower... and lower... But before the book ends, the tables turn and Jungle Girl gets her revenge! This hilarious introduction to an unusual phenomenon from the bestselling author-illustrator of Quiet, Strega Nona, and many others is includes instructions for making your own quicksand-- as well as tips on how to escape if you''re as unlucky as Jungle Girl. Boldly-illustrated nonfiction with a strong sense of humor, this classic picture book is equal parts science lesson and entertainment.

Big Anthony gets what he thinks he wants—but like usual, it causes him more trouble than he can handle in this beloved sequel to Tomie dePaola’s Caldecott Honor–winning Strega Nona. Big Anthony has a case of spring fever and he needs a little Night Life to cheer him up! But Big Anthony is afraid that if he goes to the village dance, no one will dance with him. So when Strega Nona goes away on a visit, Big Anthony borrows her magic ring, which turns him into a handsome stranger…

In this beloved classic picture book, Tomie dePaola retells and illustrates an Italian Christmas folk tale, breathing warmth and humanity into the character of the lonely Old Befana and her endless search for the Christ Child. Every morning and every afternoon, Old Befana sweeps with her broom. “Cranky old lady,” the children say. “She is always sweeping!” Sweep, sweep, sweep. But when a brilliant star glows in the eastern sky one night, and Old Befana encounters the glorious procession of three kings on their way to Bethlehem, her world will never be the same.

Strega Nona picks her tomatoes from her garden and counts them.

In this brand-new story from acclaimed author and illustrator Tomie dePaola, Strega Nona babysits twins in a Level 1 Ready-to-Read book that’s perfect for beginning readers! Strega Nona is babysitting twins for the day. Bambolona and Big Anthony help too. The twins, on the other hand, do not help with anything! They get into trouble everywhere they go! Luckily, Strega Nona knows what to do.

Andy and Sandy play in the snow in this third book of the easy-to-read picture book series about friendship, from Caldecott and Newbery Honoree Tomie dePaola and Emmy Award–winning writer for the Muppets Jim Lewis. When the first big snow of winter hits, Sandy wants to play outside—but Andy isn’t so sure. After all, snow is very wet and very cold! But Sandy drags Andy along to make a snowman, go sledding, and make snow angels. Will Andy discover that snow can be fun—despite being wet and cold? Written in simple words and short, declarative sentences, this book is perfect for little ones just learning to read on their own.

Enjoy Strega Nona all year long with this bountiful collection of six stories featuring the beloved “grandmother witch”—including the first Strega Nona, plus new introductions, a lullaby, a map, and recipes! Enter the marvelous, magical world of Strega Nona! Strega Nona has been enchanting readers since the publication of the Caldecott Honor Award–winning Strega Nona in 1975. Strega Nona’s gentle humor, irrepressible spirit, and matter-of-fact approach to life have won her legions of fans young and old, and the American Library Association called her “an enduring character who has charmed generations of children.” This wonderful treasury features six favorite stories about Strega Nona and her sidekick, the bumbling Big Anthony—including the original Strega Nona, as well as Strega Nona Meets Her Match, Strega Nona: Her Story, Strega Nona Takes a Vacation, Strega Nona’s Harvest, and Strega Nona’s Gift. With brand-new introductions to each story, author and illustrator Tomie dePaola takes readers behind the scenes to see how Strega Nona’s world has developed through the years. Also including an original lullaby—with sheet music—a map of Strega Nona’s town, and some fun recipes, this collection will give readers much to savor.

A little kid who wants to play the big kids uses the alphabet and spelling to get his way in this classic story from Strega Nona author and illustrator Tomie dePaola, now featuring a new cover and refreshed artwork. Andy may be the littlest kid on the block, but he’s very important. Andy has a wagon full of letters that spell his name, and he takes it with him wherever he goes. When the big kids decide that using Andy’s letters would be a lot of fun, Andy is left out of the game. But what can the big kids do if Andy takes his name and heads for home? Originally published in 1973, this classic picture book from the legendary Tomie dePaola now features refreshed artwork and a new cover.

Passover is a time for families and friends to celebrate their faith and shared history. Tomie dePaola’s simple text and beautiful illustrations provide insight into this special holiday for young readers.

In this magically illustrated picture book by Tomie dePaola, the Fog Maiden enchants the night for two small children In this poetic fantasy, two small children are awakened by Token, the Fog Maiden’s mysterious cat, and sent into the enchanted night. In the course of their adventure, they meet an elf horse, share warm milk and honey with trolls, and attend an extravagant ball at the palace, where they watch a play with the king and queen. As night draws to a close, the Fog Maiden floats them back to their beds and kisses them asleep. The Fog Maiden’s dream world is enhanced by exquisite full-color illustrations that will stir young imaginations. This fixed-layout ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book, features read-along narration by the author.

A gorgeously depicted story of the Lady of Guadalupe and her love for the people of Mexico In stunning words and images, Tomie dePaola renders the beautiful story of the Mother of God appearing to an indigenous man in Mexico to teach true peace to the native people. In these visitations, the Lady of Guadalupe shows her great love for the Mexican people, and proves that culture need not be obliterated to bring the Christian faith to others. The beauty of the Lady’s love is reflected in dePaola’s spectacular watercolor illustrations. This is a fixed-format ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book.

An ALA Notable Children’s Book Fin’s wife saves him from the most feared giant in Ireland. This fixed-layout ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book, features read-along narration by the author.

Beautifully drawn illustrations pair with great storytelling in this glimpse into the life of Francis of Assisi In lively prose and folksy paintings, Tomie dePaola gives a glimpse into the life of Francis of Assisi. After witnessing his father disrespect a beggar, Francis comes to forsake his worldly possessions and travel from village to village helping the poor and sheltering animals. dePaola’s recognizable artistic style and episodic telling of events in the life of Francis are accessible to young readers, and the humble tales of the lives of the saints are told with tenderness and reverence. This is a fixed-format ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book.

Mothers are so amazing--is there anything they can''t do? Through the heartfelt words of a little boy awed by all the things his mom can do, this glowing celebration of mothers has a universal appeal that will make young readers everywhere want to share it with their own moms. Featuring Tomie dePaola''s classic soft illustrations and in a wonderful smaller trim size, this is a perfect gift for Mother''s Day--or any day!

This beautifully illustrated book from the award-winning author of Strega Nona tells the story behind St. Patrick’s Day. The story of Patrick’s life, from his noble birth in Britain, to his being captured and taken to Ireland by a group of bandits, to the “dreams” that led him to convert the Irish people to the Christian faith. DePaola also retells several well-known legends, including the story of how Patrick got rid of all the snakes in Ireland. Full color. This fixed-layout ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book, features read-along narration by the author.

Have a Strega Nona holiday season with a feast for the ages! In Strega Nona''s village, the holiday season is a time of celebrations - and nothing says celebration like a feast! All the kitchens are bustling from the Feast of San Nicola, when the children choose the food, to the Feast of Epiphany, when someone gets to be king or queen for the day. Even the animals share in the holiday spirit, and when Big Anthony smells the delicious treats Strega Nona is cooking for them, he decides that just a taste couldn''t hurt, right? Wrong! Big Anthony gets his just desserts, while Strega Nona surprises everyone with a special gift. Starring two of Tomie dePaola''s best-loved characters, this funny story features beautiful art, introduces young readers to Italian holiday traditions, and lands Big Anthony in yet another silly predicament that will delight fans young and old.

At harvest time, this beloved “grandmother witch” shares the bounty of the season! In this humorous tale, Strega Nona attempts to teach Big Anthony about gardening and the importance of orderly planting. But when Big Anthony does not follow her directions and uses her growing spell, his small vegetable patch turns into an unruly jungle! What will they do with all the extra vegetables? With beautiful illustrations reminiscent of the artwork that won Tomie dePaola the Caldecott Honor for the original Strega Nona, this celebration of harvest and gardening will make the perfect addition to any Strega Nona collection.

Tomie keeps hearing the phrase, ?For the duration.? Gas is being rationed ?for the duration.? The Fourth of July fireworks will be the last show ?for the duration.? So many things will be different as long as the war goes on, but much of Tomie?s life goes on as usual. He?s excited about starring in a dance recital, taking the bus around town all by himself, and having his first Communion. But Tomie is also still getting over his cousin?s death in the war, and he has to say good-bye to his uncle as he ships off to basic training. And then he has a run-in with some bullies and his brother doesn?t even help him out. Luckily, Tomie knows there are a lot of people he can count on for the duration.

Presents a collection of illustrated nursery rhymes, including "Humpty Dumpty," "Little Boy Blue," and "Little Miss Muffet." On board pages.

Tomie dePaola’s simple text and bright illustrations perfectly capture the joy of this special holiday. Young readers will love learning more about the traditional celebrations of the day.