National news

March 22, 2023

USPS Celebrates Award-Winning Children’s Book Author and Illustrator Tomie dePaola

Children’s Book Author and Illustrator Tomie dePaola Stamp

What:

The U.S. Postal Service will honor prolific children’s book author and illustrator Tomie dePaola with the issuance of a Forever stamp.

The first-day-of-issue event for the stamp is free and open to the public. News of the release is being shared with the hashtag #TomiedePaolastamp.

Who:

Steve Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service, will serve as dedicating official.

Bruce McColl, director of engagement, Currier Museum of Art

Dr. Susan Lynch, former first lady of New Hampshire

Jon Anderson, president, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and publisher of Strega Nona

Erin Fehlau, WMUR-TV anchor

Sarah Mackenzie, founder, Read Aloud Revival

When:

Friday, May 5, 2023, at 11 a.m. ET

Where:

Currier Museum of Art
150 Ash St.
Manchester, NH 03104

RSVP:

Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/tomiedepaola

Background:

This stamp honors Tomie dePaola (1934–2020), whose extraordinarily varied body of work encompasses folk tales and legends, informational books, religious and holiday stories, and touching autobiographical accounts. His illustrations are immediately recognizable by their clean, bold lines and uncomplicated shapes. Deceptively simple, dePaola’s stories contain layers of emotional meaning and appeal to readers of all ages.

The stamp art features a detail from the cover of “Strega Nona” (1975), a Caldecott Honor Book and the first in a popular series. The title character, “Grandma Witch” in Italian, uses magic to cure her neighbors’ ills and to help with matters of the heart. The stamp image shows her carrying her magic pasta pot.

Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with dePaola's original art.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

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The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 169 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.

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