Tom – 1993
Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon
Image from Tom

Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon
Image from Tom

Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon
Image from Tom

Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon
Image from Tom

Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon
Image from Tom

Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon
Image from Tom

Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon
Image from Tom

Image Credit: Tomie dePaola on Amazon
Image from Tom

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The Story:

“Tommy’s grandfather always used to say, ‘We’re named after each other, Tommy. That’s why I want you to call me ‘Tome instead of Grandpa,’

“So Tommy did.

Tommy and his family went to visit Rom an Nana almost every Sunday. (Nana was Tommy’s grandmother.)

“And every Sunday for as long as Tommy could remember, Tom read the Sunday comics out loud. Tom used different voices, which made Tommy laugh and laugh. Sometimes Tom acted out funny poems. Tommy’s favorite was ‘The Animal Fair.’

“‘I went to the Animal Fair.
The Birds and the Beasts wer there.
The big baboon by th light of the moon
would comb out his golden hair.’

“Tom would pretend to comb and comb long, long hair. (He was bald.)

“Tommy would get the giggles and as Tom went on, he giggled louder and louder. Sometimes he would squeal and laugh so loud that Tom would start laughing too.

“‘Tom Downey, Nana would say, ‘you’re just as bad as that child.’

“Sometimes, if they were really loud, Nana would say, ‘Tom Downey, you’re just as bad as that child, and the Downeys, and the rest of the Irish!’