Tomie de Paola's Christmas Message

Every year for many years, I've received a Christmas card from Tomie de Paola. Anyone who has had the nerve to have small children over the last four decades is very familiar with the works of Tomie, especially the story of Strega Nona. He is one of this country's premiere children's book author/illustrators as well as a pretty cool guy.

This year the card arrived yesterday, no doubt first routed through New England by way of the Hindu Kush. However, the message on the back...PEACE...remains just as relevant in January as it would have December 24th.

This illustration is from the chapter "A Fairmount Avenue Christmas" in the book Christmas Remembered, written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, published by G.P. Putnam's Sons.