The American Library Association’s Association for Library Service to Children presented its media awards in New Orleans on June 27, 2011. THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE asked Tomie to create a cover for the July/August, 2011, issue in which award acceptance speeches and award winner profiles were featured.
Tomie had been awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his “significant and lasting contribution to literature for children,” so the magazine featured his acceptance speech and his profile written by Barbara Elleman. (Seven years later, in 2018, the name of the award was changed to Children’s Literature Legacy Award over concerns about how Laura Ingalls Wilder referred to Native Americans and African-Americans.)
A popular part of media award acceptance speeches is the description of “when you got the call.” Tomie shared that he was called on Sunday, night, January 9, 2011. His house was filled with people for a holiday party… “the house was filled with over seventy people.”
Tomie did not like it when I made suggestions for changes to his writings and drawings. My role was to praise. Yet, I spoke up when he handed me the first draft of his speech. He had written “the house was filled with seventy odd people.” I said, “Although it is probably true that your house was filled with seventy ODD people, I suggest changing the sentence.”
Tomie was a master public speaker who hated being constricted by a prepared speech. However, that night, it didn’t matter that his remarks were written ahead of time. It was as if the dinner guests were sitting at his feet listening to an elder storyteller. He had their attention. (Bob)
Praise for Peace, Justice, and Equality
