Tomie dePaola was born on September 15, 1934. He wrote and illustrated quite a few children’s picture books, the most famous of which is Strega Nona. It is a tale about an old lady who is a witch and her helper, Big Anthony. Tomie received the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for contributions to children’s literature in 2011.

Tomie was gay. He was closeted for much of his life due to his profession. He died in 2020 at age 85. Fun fact: In 2023, the US Postal Service issued a Strega Nona postal stamp.