SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

March 2, 2012 by Travis Jonker

Children’s Lit Commish: Eric Carle, Tomie dePaola, and Barry Moser Actually the Same Person

March 2, 2012 by Travis Jonker   12 comments

The following is a work of fiction.

In a shocking revelation, the International Children’s Literature Commissioner announced today that beloved picture book creators Eric Carle, Tomie dePaola, and Barry Moser are all actually the same guy.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

In front of a packed house of reporters and photographers, the commissioner appeared contrite.

“This is a joke that has gotten way out of hand, and it ends today.”

To audible gasps from those in attendance, a grey-haired, bearded man walked from behind a curtain up to the podium.

“Hello. You may recognize me from the scores of classic children’s books I’ve created. But I stand before you today not as “Eric Carle”, “Tomie dePaola”, or “Barry Moser”, but as lone person Tomislav Tsvetanov”, said the man, punctuating the name of each alias with air quotes.

The commissioner then provided some details of the hoax.

“We went to great lengths to keep up the ruse, including masks, makeup, and strange coincidences where “Tomie” would leave the room and “Barry” would show up. We even had an expensive wax sculpture of Eric Carle created for the photo on the back cover of Dream Snow.

I don’t even want to mention how much that elaborate wax replica of Eric Carle cost. But I will say this – an Eric Carle wax replica will run you hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

“We are very sorry”, the comissioner concluded. “This will never happen again. But we have fooled you all and it was pretty awesome while it lasted.”

Click the links below to read previous Children’s Lit Commish posts:

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘Caldecott to be Selected by Supercomputer‘

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘Hunger Games Details Wanted’

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘All Picture Books to be 80s Film Adaptations’

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘Don’t Look at Me’

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘No More Fancy Covers’

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘All Books Will Actually Just Be Videos By 2012’

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘No Blogging Allowed at Blog Conference’

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘No More Non-Famous Authors’

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘No More Adaptations’

Children’s Lit Commish: ‘No More Non-Series Books’

Filed under: Articles, Authors

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

September 2022

Q&A Giveaway: A VERY BIG FALL by Emmy Kastner

by Travis Jonker

March 2020

The Children's Literature Community Reacts to the Passing of Tomie dePaola

by Travis Jonker

March 2020

The Glory of the Personal Pan Pizza: An Interview with Tom Angleberger about Book It!

by Travis Jonker

February 2020

Sydney Taylor Blog Tour: THE BOOK RESCUER Creators Sue Macy and Stacy Innerst

by Travis Jonker

January 2020

Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Children's Lit Community on the Turn of the Decade

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Your 2023 Caldecott Comment Card

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Poems As Picture Books: Zetta Elliott Discusses the Upcoming A Song for Juneteenth

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Evil Secret Society of Cats | This Week’s Comics

by Lori Henderson

Heavy Medal

FREEWATER wins the Newbery Medal, live reactions from Heavy Medal bloggers

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

A Conversation with Kendare Blake about BUFFY, THE NEXT GENERATION

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Remember: 10 Titles to Read for Holocaust Remembrance Day

6 Chapter Books Series Updates for Transitioning Readers

6 Middle Grade & YA Novels on Repeat for Groundhog Day

Supernatural Page-Turners for 'Lockwood & Co.' Fans | Read-Alikes

ChatGPT Does Readers’ Advisory | Top Stories on SLJ

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Selena says

    March 2, 2012 at 7:37 am

    Loved this! Could you add Terry Pratchett?

    • Travis says

      March 2, 2012 at 10:03 am

      Wow, good call – perhaps the ruse included another?

  2. Ed Spicer says

    March 2, 2012 at 8:05 am

    Ha! You got me again (and I am still waiting by my phone).

  3. Sam Bloom says

    March 2, 2012 at 2:27 pm

    Nice! I would add Norton Juster to the list…

  4. adrienne says

    March 2, 2012 at 4:56 pm

    This made me laugh out loud.

    • Travis says

      March 2, 2012 at 10:43 pm

      Success!

  5. Eliza says

    March 2, 2012 at 6:45 pm

    Hilarious! I would also add Norton Juster to the list. Last week when he stopped by my bookstore, three different customers asked him to autograph their Eric Carle books!

    • Travis says

      March 2, 2012 at 10:47 pm

      Wow, very true.

    • Eric Carle says

      March 3, 2012 at 12:14 pm

      I completely agree. One time Norton, Barry, and I had a ball when we worked next to each other, Norton pretending to be Eric or Barry, Barry claiming to be Norton or Eric, Eric to be Barry or Norton. Too bad this was not filmed.The Marx Brothers would have bee proud of us. Eric Carle

      • Travis says

        March 3, 2012 at 12:58 pm

        Ha – that would have been fun to see! Thank you for your comment.

  6. Lisa Yee says

    March 4, 2012 at 7:20 pm

    Ah, so it’s as I always suspected . . .

  7. Replica Watches says

    May 16, 2013 at 10:47 pm

    Wonderful website. A lot of helpful info here.
    I am sending it to some buddies ans also sharing in delicious.

    And certainly, thanks on your sweat!

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023