'Strega Nona' Author Tomie dePaola Dies at 85

Tomie dePaola, the author behind the famed Strega Nona books, has passed away.

The author passed away from a fall last week and died of complications following surgery, his literary agent, Doug Whiteman, told the Associated Press.

Tomie‘s most popular character was Strega Nona, who was born from a doodle at a dull faculty meeting at Colby Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire, where he had been a member of the theater department.

“Strega Nona: An Original Tale” came out in 1975 and nine more books featuring the grandmother followed.

RIP Tomie.