Tomie dePaola, whose given name is Thomas Anthony de Paola, was born in Meriden, Connecticut in 1934 of an Irish and Italian background. From an early age his ambition was to create picture books. His mother, a book lover, read to Tomie and his brother and encouraged their love of books. Tomie credits the Saturday morning radio show, "Let's Pretend," in helping to develop his imagination. At the ripe "old age" of ten, he wrote books for his younger sisters' birthdays. One of these books was Glimmera, the Story of a Mermaid.

Tomie dePaola has a B.F.A. from Pratt Institute and an M.F.A. from California College of Arts and Crafts. He often draws upon his own childhood experiences in writing books. For example, his own Italian grandmother was the model for the grandmother in Watch Out for the Chicken Feet in Your Soup. His book Strega Nona was selected as a Caldecott Honor Book and he was the United States nominee for the Hans Christian Anderson Award.

His career as a professional artist and designer paralleled his success as an author. A prolific writer, he produces sometimes two to four children's books a year. He combined this career with an academic one, teaching at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire. He enjoyed many "one man shows" in Boston which featured his drawings and set designs. Many of his murals adorn the walls of Catholic churches and monasteries in New England. His book, Clown of God, is a beautiful expression of a poor one's gift to the serene mother and playful child.

Tomie dePaola has published almost 200 children's books in fifteen different countries. He remains one of the most popular creators of books for children, receiving more than 100,000 fan letters each year.

Tomie lives in an interesting house in New Hampshire with his four dogs. His studio is in a large renovated 200-year-old barn.

From the oldest to the youngest, everyone will find a favorite, whether it be The Little Red Hen, The Emperor's New Clothes, Rumpelstiltskin or The Owl and the Pussycat.

Older readers will appreciate the wit and style Tomie dePaola brings to his illustrations, while younger children will respond to his infallible sense of fun, his use of brilliant colors and his original interpretations of wonderful characters who have remained the favorites of generations of children.

A Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia came to be, through a little girl's unselfish gift to the Christ Child. Tomie dePaola has embraced the legend using his own special feeling for Christmas. His glorious paintings capture not only the brilliant colors of Mexico and its art, but also the excitement of the children preparing for Christmas and the hope of Lucida, who comes to see what makes a gift truly beautiful.

Life for Big Anthony began on a farm in northern Italy. From the day he was born, he didn't pay attention. And that meant trouble. Nonna Graziella was the first to realize what lay ahead when he got everyone wet at his christening. And by the time he was a teenage, he had messed up so many things on the farm that his father sent him away to find work. Some of the cities he passed through have never been the same: Pisa, Firenze, Roma, and Napoli.