Pascual and the Kitchen Angels

Illustrated by Tomie dePaola
When Pascual is born, angels fly down and sing to him from the trees. When he sings to the sheep as a little boy, they sing back to him. But when Pascual joins the Franciscans, they send him to the kitchen. Pascual doesn't know how to cook even a cup of beans! That's when the kitchen angels fly down, and delicious dinners appear on the friars' table night after night. Finally the friars peek in to see how Pascual does it, and what they see shows them what a blessed man is living among them.
Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1934, to a family of Irish and Italian background. His determination to create books for children led to a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an MFA from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California. 

His particular way with color, line, detail, and design have earned him many of the most prestigious awards in his field, among them a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, the Smithsonian Medal, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his "singular attainment in children's literature," the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal for his "continued distinguished contribution," and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration, and received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for lifetime contribution to children's literature in 2011.

DePaola published over 250 children's books in 15 different countries. Among his most well-known titles are the Strega Nona series, 26 Fairmount Avenue, and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.

Tomie dePaola lived in New Hampshire, and worked in a 200-year-old renovated barn. He died on March 30, 2020. View titles by Tomie dePaola

About

When Pascual is born, angels fly down and sing to him from the trees. When he sings to the sheep as a little boy, they sing back to him. But when Pascual joins the Franciscans, they send him to the kitchen. Pascual doesn't know how to cook even a cup of beans! That's when the kitchen angels fly down, and delicious dinners appear on the friars' table night after night. Finally the friars peek in to see how Pascual does it, and what they see shows them what a blessed man is living among them.

Author

Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1934, to a family of Irish and Italian background. His determination to create books for children led to a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an MFA from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California. 

His particular way with color, line, detail, and design have earned him many of the most prestigious awards in his field, among them a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, the Smithsonian Medal, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his "singular attainment in children's literature," the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal for his "continued distinguished contribution," and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration, and received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for lifetime contribution to children's literature in 2011.

DePaola published over 250 children's books in 15 different countries. Among his most well-known titles are the Strega Nona series, 26 Fairmount Avenue, and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.

Tomie dePaola lived in New Hampshire, and worked in a 200-year-old renovated barn. He died on March 30, 2020. View titles by Tomie dePaola

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