'Strega Nona' author Tomie dePaola is dead at age 85
Source: AP
By KATHY McCORMACK
CONCORD, New Hampshire (AP) — Tomie dePaola, the prolific children’s author and illustrator who delighted generations with tales of Strega Nona, the kindly and helpful old witch in Italy, died Monday at age 85.
DePaola died at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, according to his literary agent, Doug Whiteman. He was badly injured in a fall last week and died of complications following surgery.
He worked on over 270 books in more than half a century of publishing, and nearly 25 million copies have been sold worldwide and his books have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Author Lin Oliver mourned his loss, tweeting that “He was a creator of beauty and a beloved friend.” New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu issued a statement, praising dePaola as “a man who brought a smile to thousands of Granite State children who read his books, cherishing them for their brilliant illustrations.”
In this photo taken Sunday Dec. 1, 2013, Tomie dePaola poses with his artwork in his studio in New London, N.H. The beloved children's author and illustrator has died at the age of 85. DePaola delighted generations with tales of Strega Nona, the kindly and helpful old witch in Italy. His literary agent says dePaola died Monday from surgery complications after taking a bad fall last week. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)
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I suppose it’s that way because “nonna” is pronounced “nona”. Maybe he was worried that English speakers would pronounce nonna as nahna.
With gratitude for all the lovely and loving books. 
