Children’s Book Author Tomie dePaola and Activist Icon John Lewis on 2023 USPS Stamps

Yesterday, the U.S. Postal Service announced seven new subjects that will be featured on stamps in 2023. Among the list is prolific children’s book author Tomie dePaola (1934-2020) and civil rights activist and author John Lewis (1940-2020).

After participating in vital civil rights protests — even becoming one of the Freedom Riders in the early ’60s — John Lewis spent over three decades in Congress continuing the fight for equality. This fight was carried over into the books he wrote, with some of the most recent ones being March, Run, and Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation. The stamp honoring his lifelong commitment to making “good trouble” will feature the August 2013 Time Magazine photograph of Lewis shot by Marco Grob.

In the world of children’s literature, Tomie dePaola is iconic. The award-winning author and illustrator wrote more than 250 children’s books, with the most well-known being Strega Nona, Merry Christmas, Strega Nona, and The Art Lesson. His stamp will feature the cover of his book Strega Nona, about a “Grandma Witch” who lives in southern Italy.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.