Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Don’t get stuck, read this book about quicksand!

The Quicksand Book by Tomie dePaola

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I once said Tomie dePaola could do no wrong in my eyes. And while that is still true, The Quicksand Book is not in my top ten likes. Yet, there is a charm to it that makes it a fun book tht could appeal across ages. This is a clever story about the facts of quicksand. The boy of the story is pontificating as the girl (who was swinging through the jungle, minding her own business, when her vine breaks) has been caught in quicksand. […]

I never meet a Tomie book I didn’t appreciate

Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise by Tomie dePaola

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Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise is based on the Canticle of the Three Young Men or the Benedicite from the Book of Daniel and Psalm 148. Tomie dePaola has created a poem inspired by these Old Testament Scriptures but has a modern voice that only he could do. While the art does not immediately say “Tomie” it does have elements of his signature style. The fact it is also based on “embroideries and designs of the Otomi people from the mountain villages around San […]

When Everyone Was Fast Asleep a Cat woke them up….

When Everyone Was Fast Asleep by Tomie dePaola

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When Everyone Was Fast Asleep the fog wakes up the narrators with Token and off to the king’s ball they go. Along the way, they have a few small adventures and at the end of the night, the two of them are happy and tucked safely back into their beds. When Everyone Was Fast Asleep is a much more poetic story than other books by Tomie dePaola. It also is a less solid story than usual (there is a story yet, it is no Strega Nona). […]

I cannot be Quiet as Tomie has a new book!

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Oh Tomie! Your illustrations are on point, but the story needs to be in a smaller format! I would love to see this in a lap size or even a medium sized board book. But don’t worry, I still love you Mr. D! Quiet by Tomie dePaola is classic dePaola. A grandfather and his grandchildren go out to enjoy the world around them. While the world is busy and chaotic, there is also quiet to enjoy. The combination of spiritual and secular is there. You […]

The Glory of my Favorite Illustrator

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The end of March 2018 saw a reissue of a Tomie dePaola classic Big Anthony and the Magic Ring (now called Strega Nona’s Magic Ring). The beginning of March saw a reissue of The Clown of God (last night was the first time I could read without crying my eyes out). And early April saw a rare site: dePaola’s text and illustrations by Doug Salati with, In a Small Kingdom. It is a miracle I can tear myself away from reading them! (Yes, my friends, […]



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