Prolific and honored children's book thor and illtrator Tomie Paola died today at age 85 after plitns followg a fall. Among his many works, DePaola, who was gay, wrote one of the earlit picture books to feature a boy who uld be read as queer and “didn’t like to do thgs that boys are supposed to do.” The book was based on his own childhood experienc.
Contents:
- REMEMBERG TOMIE PAOLA, THE GAY CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR WHO PATED CATHOLIC TAL
- THE GAY HISTORY OF AMERI’S CLASSIC CHILDREN’S BOOKS
REMEMBERG TOMIE PAOLA, THE GAY CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR WHO PATED CATHOLIC TAL
Though he was married briefly to a woman the neteen-sixti, Paola was gay, and a special sensivy to the plight of the socially margalized unrgirds his work. In 2019, The New York Tim published a feature on “The Gay History of Ameri’s Classic Children’s Picture Books, ” and noted that Oliver Button was the first picture book to e the word ‘gay’ when was published 1979.
THE GAY HISTORY OF AMERI’S CLASSIC CHILDREN’S BOOKS
In the article, Paola acknowledg the stigma that would have surround him if he had e out as gay earlier life:.
“If beme known you were gay, you’d have a big red ‘G’ on your cht, and schools wouldn’t buy your books anymore. Dpe his great succs and universal populary, was not until 2019 that DePaola me out as gay.