News Release

Award-winning illustrator/author Tomie dePaola will talk about his work and life as a children’s book author at the 10th annual Effie Lee Morris Lecture on May 17. dePaola’s lecture entitled “What Haven’t I Done Yet,” begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Koret Auditorium at the Main Library.

Over the past 40 years, dePaola has written and/or illustrated more than 200 books, including well-known works such as 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona and Meet the Barkers.

DePaola names Fra Angelico and Giotto, Georges Rouault, and Ben Shahn as major influences on his work, but he soon found his own unique style. His particular way with color, line, detail and design have earned him numerous prestigious awards, including a 1976 Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, a 2000 Newbery Honor Award for 26 Fairmount Avenue, the Smithsonian Medal from the Smithsonian Institution, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his “singular attainment in children's literature,” the Catholic Library Association’s Regina Medal for his “continued distinguished contribution,” and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration.

Born in Meriden, Conn., in 1934 to a family of Irish and Italian background, dePaola knew what his life’s work would be from the time he could hold a pencil. His determination to create books for children led to a bachelor’s of fine arts degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an master’s of fine arts degree from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland. He taught, designed greeting cards and stage sets, and painted church murals until 1965, when he illustrated his first children's book, Sound, by Lisa Miller. Eventually, he plunged full time into both writing and illustrating children's books. He currently lives in New London, N.H. with his Airedale dog, Brontë, and works out of his studio located in a large renovated 200-year-old barn.

The Effie Lee Morris Lecture was established in 1996 to expand upon the idea of looking at children through their literature. The series is named in honor of Effie Lee Morris, who was the coordinator of children’s services at the San Francisco Public Library from 1963-77. As one of the pioneer children’s services leaders in the country, Morris was responsible for the development of the broad range of Library services now available to the children of San Francisco. She developed the children’s historical and research collection – which is also named in her honor – to meet the needs of Bay Area researchers studying our view of children and their world as reflected in the books written for them. This research collection serves as an historical perspective on how children’s literature has evolved over time. Books include those containing ethnic stereotypes reflecting past eras, materials of Northern California interest, and selected fiction and nonfiction representing the countries of origin of San Francisco immigrants.

Past Effie Lee Morris lecturers have included Linda Geistlinger, Karey Wehner, Toni Bernardi, Laurence Yep, Ashley Bryan, Alma Flor Ada, Thacher Hurd, Milly Lee, Daniel and Robert San Souci, Nikki Grimes and Pamela Muñoz Ryan.

The Effie Lee Morris Lecture is co-sponsored by the Women’s National Book Association and the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

This program is free and open to the public.
For more information, please call (415) 557-4277.