Today on midday tomie, dePaola the author and illustrator of hundreds of children's books depalo was the featured speaker at a recent Macalester College convocation in st. Paul. He was invited to speak on the occasion of the retirement of Patricia Kane and English professor at McAllister. DePaola has written and Illustrated more than 150 children's books the most recent being bonjour. Mr. Satie. DePaula now will be featured and introduced further by Patricia Professor Patricia King.There maybe I'm sure there probably is another way to arrange to have a convocation that I'd like to attend other than promising to retire, but I haven't found it. But I assume that my haven't found a way to have this kind of convocation many of you share my taste since you also come to hear Tommy depalo talk to us your liking for him might not be identical with mine. Although I suspect it's similar. He's written so many books over so many years that we probably among us have quite a variety. It's been about 25 years since he's been writing and illustrating books. And the total number is edging up toward 200 of a book set with his name on them. But whereas we may not all like the same books or remember the same characters. I suspectedly some of us remember the character Helga that beautiful troll member her or Strega, Nona or Tony who bakes bread or Oliver?One of our one of many others that that I haven't mentioned whatever it is. He has created characters that we care about and told about them in stories that we enjoy your small thing storytellers are The Magicians of of this and and every age to begin with OR it not for storytellers English teachers would not have jobs. We need them the same way Camas need formula and 1000 and so on but besides that besides a very important matter of providing an occupation for me and others in my department storytellers help us to remember the past to learn about others different from ourselves to find the familiar made special to recognize ourselves in stories and just generally to MIT to find life a lot more pleasant. It's it's hard to think of a ref. We would be without stories and this morning we welcome aStoryteller tomie dePaola Good morning. I think it's morning still. Yes, it is. It's very nice. We've been invited here. I get a lots of requests but this was a very special one and I'm very glad to be at Cannes wish person today. I'm she ask for me. And here I am. There you go last week. It's nice looking at serve older faces. You're not that old but the last week or last week. I was doing with them. I'm finding myself doing lately going out to school districts and spending a whole week with young people, It's exhausting any of you young people who are planning to be teachers. Don't believe it when they say, oh, it's an easy job to get your Summers off and there's no such thing as burnout Friday afternoon. When I got in the car to be taken to the airport. I was so glad I was not going to see another kindergarten card and child for a while. But it's also interesting for me to try to switch gears and I'm not sure I do that very successfully because I think I talked to for 4 year olds 5 year olds six-year-olds the same way as I talked to 18 year olds 25 year olds 45 year olds 57 year old and my 84 year old mother who still is my mother. She still won't listen to me. She still tells me what to do. She was just at a party Tuesday night and in New York, and the she said to me when working don't forget. I'm still your mother. I haven't doing books for actually I'm starting on my 27th year this summer 27 years ago. I was sitting in a in a run-down place in Provincetown, Massachusetts as a run-down Hotel. I was performing in the evenings in the nightclub. I was in a review there were two men to women and we did a two shows a night and I was doing my first dummy which is the sketch for the first book that I got to illustrate. I started out as an illustrator and I do consider myself an artist author. That's how I refer to myself. Anyway, I was sitting in this run-down room at this rickety table with some paper and a pencil and eraser and I was doing sketches that were going to be sent to the editor in New York and made head judgement made upon them and at night I was performing in this nightclub as I said, and I suddenly realized that the things I said when I was 4 years old had all suddenly come true. And that was what I told people that when I grew up I was going to be an artist. I was going to write stories and drop pictures for books. I was going to sing and tap dance. I was quite good at that. I might add my voice isn't quite up to what it was and I don't have my tattoos with me. So I won't be doing any of that stuff this afternoon or this morning. I've seen a lot of changes in the the industry and I call it an industry of children's books. When I first started out. We were kind of the foster children of the publishing houses. They were always her little offices way down the hall and there was usually a111 editor with a secretary maybe maybe a production person to see that the book was was finally produced. But now it's quite different things have changed rapidly, especially over the last 10 years. We are no longer considered at least by our colleagues and by the publishing houses and by the CEOs and by the Japanese so megalopolises that will buyout and MCA which is our own Putnams, which is my my publisher was just bought by much shoot stuff. I think it's the way you say it. I haven't met them yet. I'm hoping for a little trip to Japan. No life publicist has any today. All right, I won't wait for the trip to Japan Charlotte. I tried I thought maybe in public, you know, I've got a trip to Japan. Anyway, it's up things have changed rapidly with children's books right at the moment. It was interesting. I've had lunch with a Bookseller in New York, very successful young man. And he said that he would like it if Publishers would reduce their lips by 30% and he feels it's too much being published right at the moment. I'm not sure that it isn't a bad idea. 20 years ago, I would have said up at up at 5 60% especially if they were my titles but I would think that the interesting thing that's happened with children's books is that they've been and there's the danger of children's books being taken away from children. I keep that little four-year-old that wanted to be an artist to write stories and draw pictures for books and singing tap dance on the stage. I keep him right in front of me when I'm doing my work. I do other things for for grown-ups. I do I do paintings. I do drawings of it are sold in Galleries. And if you invite me to the right party, I'll sing and tap dance on the stage. But when I do my books, I keep I really do try to keep my audience in mind. It doesn't mean that a good children's book can't be enjoyed by a person of any age but the books that are enjoyed by people of older ages and looked at by children with a Long View not understanding what's going on in the book. It's just the story of The Emperor's New Clothes all over again and it's a real danger we have in our industry right at the moment. I hope I never fall trap to that. I walked a tight Tightrope on my new book and I just happen to have a copy with it since I'm on a publicity tour. It's called and it does have a couple of levels to it. I'm actually going to read this to you Pat. I thought you might enjoy this is brand new book and when I do that right away, and then we'll then we'll all know what I'm talking about. The book is German Society. I'll give you a little bit of background about. Mr. Satie is this cat over here? And this is his traveling companion Mr. Fortescue Follett and it spelled with two F's his English and he's got little buck. Teeth. Any and I hear him. Say his name you think you have a little bit of a stutter like a good English actor would have I had a cat named settee, but he died when he was 17 years old is quite a gentleman he wait to wait until I was out here in Minneapolis working on a play at Children's Theater to pass quietly from this plane, but he was an Abyssinian. And they're very special breed of cat. I don't know whether any of you have ever encountered an Abyssinian, but I was convinced after having this cat for a few a few years that when I would take a trip. He would call up all his friends and invite them over for dinner or we even better. He get his own plane ticket and go on his own trip while I was on my trip and get back before I did the way he was named was he was bought from a place called Fabulous Felines in New York City. And Fabulous Felines was was a pet shop that cater to the Stars. That's how they advertise himself. I guess Elizabeth Taylor bought a cat from them or something you the owner of this Pet Shop had very very strict ideas, and how cats were to be brought up. And um and how you were to behave for your cat and dump if any of you have cats, you know, he wasn't far off the mark especially with an Abyssinian abyssinians happen to be a very affectionate breed of cats are also extremely beautiful. I ordered him over the phone and sent my check. I was living in New Hampshire and it meant that this kitten was going to be delivered by air to the Manchester New Hampshire airport, which really isn't very big. the phone call came from the Milo Greer was a man's Amy weight about 400 lb and he would ride around New York City on a little motor scooter and he take his kittens that were going to go all over the world out to Laguardia Airport and put them on the plains, you know and them Can you call these at your kittens on the way now? He also said that he would choose you had you had this phone interview. And he would he would choose the cat you do choose the breed of cat you were that you were allowed to have and the sex of the cat that you're allowed to have and you also the sign is elaborate contract that you would not this would be a pet. Only that the proper age would send you notification. You would have your cat altered or neutered and you would send him back this signed contract by the fat is all very legal and very complicated. So, of course I was attracted to it. I still can't I have I do have other abyssinians at home. They are both of them come from New Hope, Minnesota Foshay and Dayton. Dale Bachman Who Made Who I worked with that when I designed the flower show for Dayton's wants me to get a third and of course call it Bachman. So I'll have the whole city covered your Bachman dating and Foshay and there's nothing nothing wrong with that anyway. The phone call came that my cat was on its way. I called Manchester New Hampshire when I was supposed to help no cash here. I was staying with a friend and a beautiful old house had a beautiful old house until we said, okay. Well, let's cook dinner first because the next plane doesn't get in till 7 and Manchester is about an hour away. So I put some music on the phonograph and I happen to like the music of Erik Satie very much and I had just had an album that is called The Velvet gentleman. It was Erik Satie played on new new instruments electronic instruments. My lovely lovely record and I was playing Erik Satie a velvet Gentleman on the phonograph. And a phone call came and Jean came into the living room. Jean taught theater. If you never met Jen, you know why gene taught theater she is very dramatic little but he's very dramatic because it's there. I said what they're the kitten is there they found it the poor thing. It's been sitting there lost. They found it. Soyou all the stoves went off. We got in the country that I'll drive because the poor thing it was going to come in a box and you've got to take it out of the box as soon as we get there and hold it on the way home. I said find Gene to set off on the way to the airport. Jean isn't Gina's not a good driver. He pulled over to the edge of the road and said we're not going any further and I said why you said what are you going to call it? And I said Gina. I don't even know whether it's a male or female. I am not driving one inch more. This poor creature has come all the way through New York traffic on the back of a Vespa Loan in a small plane to Manchester New Hampshire. How would you like to do that? And not have anybody know your name? And he was serious. And we haven't had time for martinis yet. So I said I'm going to call it Sati because Erik Satie even playing when I opened up the box in the we waited till we got in the car and I saw this little face with great huge ears looking up at me. I knew that I didn't name. T t s Eliot was right cats named themselves. He had some sort of psychic communication with Jean Younkin the stop the car so that I would recognize his name that t as I said live with me for 17 years. He was quite a wonderful man are cats or whatever. He was. He was asked what he used to do. I would put on Erik Satie music and he would get up and go and sit like this with his face looking into the speakers. I swear that's the truth waiting for the performer to make one false note. I know I know. I was having a show at a gallery and I did some drawings to come out of my head there and there was a very opposite from when I do my work for my books. They they just a more free form and almost like stream-of-consciousness kind of things and I suddenly found myself doing these drawings of mr. Satie and his niece and nephew Rosalie and Conrad and dumb. Mr. Satie was I guess I would like my uncle Charles. He was kind of a character kind of like Graham Greene's onto your travels with my aunt Rosalie and Conrad. This is all happening in my head mind you Roseanne Conrad lived in somewhere in Centerville USA, which means any place west of New York City to those of us who are easterners now, I know better I spend a lot of time in Minneapolis so I know better I know there is well, I won't say life out there. There's life here in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, but Well, I was in Goshen, Indiana over the weekend. It's very quiet. Brake light lovely, very pretty very quiet. Very quiet. Anyway, I didn't strange drawings of mr. Satie and his niece and nephew Rosalie and Conrad new teaching them dance in the style of the Russian ballet and I began to think there's something here. There's something here children love uncle's eccentric uncle's especially if they bring them presents in a benefit to interesting places. And so I came up with the text for this. First of what we hope will be a small series and them I will like to read it to you Pat and the others can listen if they like Publisher, mr. Sexy and it starts off with a postcard. I won't be showing all the pictures because that's gets a little lies. It gets a little bit like Library story hour. Right and you're a little far away is supposed to be sitting around my feet for that but starts out with a postcard. This is a postcard on the front postcard shape. And if any of you recognize any Parisian landmarks or the Eiffel Tower and the champs-elysees and not that kind of post carbon friends postcards from France. And I said I have at the top of mistress ideas. So let me 40 so they Sean's Alizee a declaratory and director wanted to know how I was able to do the stamp. Cuz I started like a French sample. I took a regular stamp and painted it because I couldn't see painting all those little to no perforation Mark stuff. And it's the address to Rosalie and Conrad. Ab110 Main Street, Centerville Midwest USA. My dear niece and nephew my traveling companion Fortescue and I will be arriving from Paris very soon to spend the summer with all of you what Adventures we have to tell you about your uncle Scotty and the editor wisely had me put an asterisk there. So it says at the bottom pronounced Satie cuz we're already getting oh, mr. Sadie. Then I will show you the title page because this might you might find this interesting and how can we really do think about these things? We put in these books that we make in order to not go through some long text and explanations of mr. Satie coming all the way to Centerville. I did it visually or not, but I have Paris over here on the top on these bands. And of course, I'm about a liner coming across the ocean cuz it's takes place sometime in the twenties and the Statue of Liberty and glittering Gotham New York City and Grand Central Station on the train coming out of Grand Central Station to Centerville. And then on the bottom line the only taxi in Centerville taking mr. Satie to his sister and brother-in-law and his niece and nephews home. I'm not used to this book yet brand new haven't read it aloud yet. This is the first time I've read a left and then of course the famous dedication you where you get the chance to do things for your friends for Joy at right-back us with my other who named 40. She did she name for his coufal it and said it had to be SS Jean who introduced me to go to the Dallas and made me names. E Lewis who helped the photos of the Paris crowd and always makes me giggle and Joe who never knew Satie but loves Dayton. Ever since the postcard arrived from Paris Rosalie and Conrad have been waiting for the arrival of their Uncle. Mr. Satie World traveler and His companion Fortescue Follett Esquire everyday, they ask Mama and Papa when they would arrive. Hello. Hello Uncle Scotty by Rosalie and Conrad. Hello? Hello, Mr. Fortescue Fallon. Hello. Hello, everyone cry the visitors. They all hugged and kissed and went inside. My dream luggage is there. That's the other thing. I was hoping the publisher would surprise me. I'm publication and have a set of luggage made like that. No Charlotte right now. Mother We Share my dears Mr. Saatchi said for he is going to cook us a fabulous French dinner a special recipe from Alice and Gertrude our dear American friend living in Paris said 40 and off. He went to the kitchen. What Adventures did you have this trip? Uncle fatty Rosalie and Conrad asked well, Maison phone. Remember my friend Pablo who painted that portrait of me and blue? Well, his new paintings are very different. They caused quite a stir in Paris this spring. Oh tell us tell us the children. Well it all began the Sunday. We arrived in Paris and I were sitting in our favorite Cafe when who should come along but and Justin's look good cinema graphic form go into Paris, which looks quite different than Centerville kind of dark and mysterious or set it off all light and ice cream socials and front porches and stuff. Pablo come and join us. What? Have you been up to Pablo was always up to something. SRT Pablo said I've been painting many things. I went from Blue to Pink from Pink the things African and now my painting show things from different size all at the same time. My goodness Pablo said 40 how daring I can't imagine how they look I must see your latest paintings. Mr. Suds. He said and you shall you shall indeed you shall for the large woman would come up behind them? It was great rude with her friend Alice. Nothing delighted Gertrude more and Alice more than to bump into Old Friends come with us to Route if there is for I-79 Gathering Richard said tonight Pablo will show us his new work or do I do please do that Alice? all of Paris was interested in art Richard salon for that was what the Sunday night Gathering was called was the place where the interesting people came to discuss interesting things. Everyone was glad to see mr. Satie. Mr. T was already filled with people all they talked how they laughed how they argued and I had great fun with this page. These are all people that start of existed maybe not all at the same time, but it's my fantasy Gretchen Alice fellow and after all I've never did say Steinem tokala snow today. Are potassium and great fun was had at the Publix when they are came in guessing who these people work. I also want to point out to you that are all those little paintings on the wall are all Echoes of the paintings that hung and Gertrude Stein. Salha, do not necessarily little copies. Although in the book. There are several that are actually copied from actual painting. That's Calvin Coolidge. He's doesn't approve at all if you look at his face. Salamence ready for how they talk how they laughed how they argued suddenly everyone was quiet. Andre had come in Andre was a painter to he looked a little like a bank Clerk. Richard Stein said that about Ira Matisse. She said he's the trouble with Henry is he looks like a bank Clerk? And so she said that she knew. Audrey Audrey, Audrey said Gertrude. You are back from nice. So soon niece is in the south of France was nice. Nice. Yes, Gertrude Andrea said this was nice and I did some nice paintings in these. I brought them to show you. You know, the only problem with that whole thing is that I know that's going to what's going to happen. Next school year, there's got to be somebody that's going to say say, oh you're back from nice. So soon nice is in the south of France was nice. Nice. Nice was nice. I just a nice painting tonight. I reset and I have brought them to show you Pablo glowered. Oh dear Saatchi for he whispered I Smell Trouble. But I am showing my pain my new panties tonight said Pablo. George would said I could Pablo put his pennies against one will all on repo his paintings against the other everyone started talking all at once taking sides Pablo is brilliant. is boring Audrey is a genius Pablo is weird shot at another group. 00 Dallas a duel the Russian count a prince shouted a prize fight. You'll be American writer. Call the gendarme scream Pablo's wife rude and they all stopped at once. We shall have a contest to go to denounce Pablo anon-v will hang their paintings and miss your B's gallery and someone will judge them. But who will be the judge said those asked the lady poet from England. Should I give a test? Anyone have a guess? She had a brother. The two brothers. Well Fortescue Follett smoke up. Who not only knows all about painting but it's fair and honest and true and that is my dear friend. Mr. Satie. Yes. Yes. Yes said Gertrude and everyone agreed. All of Paris buzzed all of Paris was interested all of Paris held his breath including this young artists from the United States up in his bill Garrett there who's both soon become a children's book illustrator. Colette still napping overhearing the day of the judging arrived Gertrude and Alice Pablo and Andre and 40 accompany. Mr. Satie to the gallery like a huge crowd followed reporters from all the newspapers were there this year if he greeted the crowd and led mr. Satie inside. Finally, mr. Softee appeared at the door. Well, Sati Richard asked. after careful consideration said mister sun tea I have concluded that you compare anri's paintings of nice with Pablo's paintings of newspapers guitars and faces from all different sides. What did you compare apples with oranges? Those are delicious but taste totally different Pablo's in on these paintings are also both delicious, but look totally different. I declare the contest a draw the crowd cheered Viva Pablo Vive and Vive mr. T. Gertrude and Alice gave. Mr. Satie big kisses he can't because he had saved the day after all they loved both onry and Pablo Pablo and Audrey shook hands with each other and then with mr. Satie the crowds cheered and lift it on Republican. Mr. Satie on to their soldiers shoulders and March down the boulevard to the cafe where they had a party. And then we said we are back in Centerville here. So you see that part so that you so you can see that aren't is Alive and Well in Paris at mr. Satie, Rosalie and Conrad clap their hands dinner's ready announce 40 and they all went into the dining room and sat down to a delicious meal and now for some presents that mr. Salty Harris cried Rosalie and tomorrow, we will go out and paint together said Mr. Saatchi and everyday for the rest of the visit. Mr. Satie, Rosalie and Conrad painted their pictures. And I have a little note at the end and it says during his lifetime my good friend. Mr. Satie traveled all over the world and had Many Adventures. I am honored that he chose me to pass them on to you. If some of the people he meets on his journeys look or sound familiar. I'm not the least bit surprised. a secret Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Well Pat, that's for you. That's the first time I've read that in public. I like what you said about storytellers. I come from a line of storytellers it when I get up in front of an audience and I start to read a book the other persona seems to take over in that you know that little boy that says tap dancing lessons. He also have those little personas. I think enter his I'm his psyche. I had a wonderful Irish grandfather. I'm half-irish half-italian. My Irish grandfather was a Storyteller par exsalonce. I think my great-great school teachers often wish that he wasn't so creative because he did terrible things to me. This is what I thought this is what I do when I go to speak with young people. I tell them about myself as a child. I find that they are they like to hear that grown-ups did things that were kind of fun funny and one of the things I told the children in Michigan all last week and they they absolutely screamed and yelled and I thought well I can tell I can tell Patton all her friends here this true story. My grandfather had a grocery store. Do you know how difficult that is to explain to children today? No, really. It's very difficult. They don't know what a grocery store is that they know what supermarkets are but there are very few grocery stores left in the world. I guess I certainly don't have one in a small town that I live in the supermarket from my grandmother and grandfather had a genuine grocery store. My grandmother was in charge of two-thirds of it and stood there at guard by the cash register and she with the with the twine abovr some you college students are looking at me like I'm from Mars. Anyway, she has to take the string and wrap up the packages of try to break it with your finger, but you put string against string and it breaks. Cedric learning Macalester College My grandfather his domain was the meat market part of the grocery store and I was explaining to the children that the grocery store that my grandparents had was really interesting because it had cans on the shelves way up higher than you could reach unlike today's supermarkets. And because no one no one got their own things. My grandmother would carefully put the potatoes in the bag for mrs. Lynch and mrs. Lynch will take not that one Alice. My grandmother would put it back and put another one in when I was there and helping out I would help get the cans down from the top shelf with this wonderful contraption that you scroll through you squeeze the handle it grab the cans like this and that's how you got the cans off the top of the shelf. And of course you would never take anything from the display that my uncle Charles is very much like this Society made with canned snow feature the new products you and I remember when Del Monte stewed tomatoes came into the store was really quite something all-in-one. Can you didn't have to do it your There's no such thing as a frozen food Locker or are there was a big counter that had glass panels that had beans and peas and all different kinds of beans and peas and dried stuff. You unlock you don't know how many different kinds of beans and peas and corn the wreck and they were corresponding these last two drawers in the back of the of that encounter where the bulk was kept cuz that was the display case and done but my grandfather stood behind the white refrigerated me glass counter music came in cardboard boxes and they had a glass top that went over the box to keep the the flies out I guess and you could buy one cookie cookie I'm de Pisco is the brand my grandmother preferred. There's her cookie of choice. My grandfather stood behind the meat market and there weren't packages of hamburger all wrapped up in plastic. He had this enormous meat grinder that it was a big wooden thing that he would put the beef in and grind them. I love them people over here on this side of going like this. Fascinating. I feel like I'm fixing a course in ancient history hear the Tomb of the down east or you know, and my grandmother make the Hamburger once I've got a thrill for an 89 year old on a stool and I can help do anything now what he called me Timothy Timothy. The drop it in like this Anna and the other thing is that mrs. Novak had the chickens farm and this is Novak would bring the chickens every Friday night people used to get their orders on Saturday. They would call in and my grandfather put all the orders together and we go down and help him and we helped deliver the orders in the quite often like father would have to pick up extra beef or Meter whatever five sides of beef if it local distributor, which is in Meriden where I live that was another Big Thrill going into a cooler a big refrigerator in room filled with sides of beef and pork and lamb and health and all the sawdust on the floor and his men in white aprons and black leather cuffs and blood spatter take princess very fast lane to a child. My grandfather would take his huge sides of beef and suddenly before you know, what their beef steaks and roast beef and hamburger and all this one. best part of the chicken And the kids loved the story about the chickens, which is true. My grandfather Tom Downey used to mrs. Novak would bring the chickens. They did they'd be defeathered and they did Dad. But they still have their heads and their feet on them and my grandfather was the first thing he would do is eat a chicken put it down as big butcher block take his big Cleaver, which I have. Thank you left me not as big as when it wasn't it shrunk. But I have that clear it in whack the head of the chicken off and whack the two feet off. And then of course you open up the chicken and clean it out, which I thought was the most absolutely wonderful thing to watch in the world. I'd sit there and was just watching me and I dizzy clean chicken after chicken and he told me he told me he said you can call me Timothy 4:4 nickname and he put his hands on my cheek and I say yes time cuz he had his column time. He say that's I use the best hand lotion in the world chickens. I believe them and he never lied. He never lied never liked me. I never like. He did tell me a story about as in first grade Miss Canary my first grade teacher said to it to the class on class. I want you go home over the weekend go to a family member that you care about and some to tell us you something about their lives and come back and share it with the class. So I had it all so it was going to be time my grandfather time. I waited till he went wanted to know we went to shake out the ashes in the big coal furnace in the basement. Also to have a smoke on his pipe because my grandmother would not allow him to light that stinky thing in her house. So we had to light it downstairs by the furnace where she didn't care and I go down with him and he he's such as I have to find out something about one of the relatives I care about I care about you Tom and to tell me something about you and how he was bald. It actually lost his hair when he was 19, cuz there was a first flu epidemic not the second one during the first world war, but the one in 1800s and he had influenza and while he was in a coma his mother and his twin sister actually died and he feel he went into a coma and summer and when he came out of it, there were no leaves on the trees and all his hair was gone. Only eighteen. That was a true story. But he's this is what my grandfather told me. He said, you know when I was a young man I used to used to used to ride with Kit Carson. All I know is a Kit Carson was a cowboy on Saturday morning movies in the movie theater, not on television, but in the movie theater, and he said, you know Tony you know, my old horse Tony will Tony was an old grocery cart horse. Whose about 300 was outside of out in the backyard propped up. Yo. No one could know we could bear to Steve you shoot Tony or get rid of Tony. I think it would be like Oh how we going to bury him, you know, just how big these to leave the pen open until he went back up front of him. I'm not going anywhere can't get rid of me. So you that now you know Tony I said, yes, he said, well Tony and I were going out we're going to go to meet that price and he was way out there in the desert in the prairie and was going to take me to Knights to get there and I was going and it was a beautiful Starlit Night in the desert and I had my blanket roll. I don't know what any of these things where I live in Connecticut. And my blanket roll we put the blanket all night. I'd Tony to a big Cactus and if that means I'm imagining all this and this desert. He said it while I was asleep. One of crazy horses Indians came and scalped me. And that's why I don't have any here. I went to school. told story My teacher told me that it was not true. I was brought up as a Catholic I was in I was in Sunday school for my first communion and the only the only thing of five-year-old a six-year-old could do that was devastating to tell a lie. So that was the biggest in the world and I didn't talk to the teacher for three weeks because she insulted my grandfather by saying you told me a lie, which I knew he didn't so she did apologize my grandfather taught me how to do something wonderful with these chicken feet. He also told me if I buried a chicken head and didn't disturb it that for 3 weeks. I'd have a chicken bush. He was he was really wanted to he absolutely new children backwards and forth. There isn't a child under the age of eight that will bury anything and leave it more than 2 days. We got to see what's happening under their huh? See if that awful song they sing in 4th grade is true. Yo. You know the time in the worms crawl in the worms crawling on it. Oh my grandfather. He he told me to do something wonderful with these chicken feet. If there's some of you may know this there's a little tendon in the middle of the chicken foot and you if you loosen it up and you you learn how to do this you pull it like that and the chicken feed go like this. That you're laughing just as much as those kindergarten kids dead. And I brought these chicken feed home as it's Friday Friday evening and I are sorry but it was weekend and that you know, they were really smelly they didn't smell so good and so my mother and let me have some soap and brush and scrub the chicken feed off and then I said to my mother could I could I use some of your fingernail polish? And she said yes, and I painted the chicken feed the toenails the claws bright bright bright red. Chicken feeder bright yellow. And I put them in my pocket on Monday and took them to school. But on the way all weekend, I had practice to be able to hold them in my fingers and take the little tendons in either hand and do it so I could do it both. Okay, so I get to the school play yard, and I took my hands and pulled away at my sweaters My Fit. Grab the chicken feed so I'm going to starve. Coming out of my sweater. Hell of a hat my hands behind me went into the chicken yard. I mean the schoolyard. Turn to the group of girls. Of course, they all. I was on a roll here. I turned around it was a teacher who attacked? I spent the next three hours in the principal's office and brought home a note that said he is not allowed to bring his chicken feet to school and is longer. So, I guess Pat that coming from a background like that with it with a grandfather like that. I guess I didn't have a chance, but I'm so glad that my stories appeal to the grown-ups as well as two young people and I'm so eternally grateful to the people that make sure that young people who are going to be teachers know my work so that I can share them with the whole new generations of really young people who come along Nancy Johansson my good friend and my very dear good friend Noreen odland for the University. I know join me as well as Charlotte as a representative from Putnams. All join me in wishing you great great good times ahead. Now that you're retiring and please just keep reading children's books, and especially mine. Thank you. Thank you. You've been listening to tomie dePaola, the illustrator, and author of hundreds of children's books to Paula spoke recently at Macalester College in St. Paul special convocation was healed on the occasion of the retirement of a Callister English Professor Patricia Cain, if you wish to order cassette copies of this beach said, it's $7 to Media Services Department Macalester College 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105.