Product Description

Now even the youngest readers can enjoy this award-winning story about Strega Nona, the beloved Italian "Grandma Witch, " and her magic pasta-making pot. In this slightly abridged version of the original, author/illustrator Tomie dePaola combines humor and warmth as he builds the story to a hilarious climax. Full color.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98053 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Board book
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780689817649
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Tomie dePaola is one of the most popular children's book authors and illustrators of our time. His humor, insight, and gentle art delight all readers. A Newbery Honor award winner, he has written and illustrated a number of books for Simon & Schuster, including Caldecott Honor Book Strega Nona, as well as Andy: That's My Name, Watch Out for the Chicken Feet in Your Soup, and "Charlie Needs a Cloak." A native of Connecticut, Mr. dePaola studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and now lives in New London, New Hampshire.

Customer Reviews

Bewitched by the best
It's like "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" but without that annoying mouse. For many youngsters like myself, "Strega Nona", marks my earliest introduction to the delightful Tomie de Paola. To me, this story is pitch perfect. It has everything a classic folktale should have and it tells its story with a coy courteous eloquence. Few picture books are half as classy as "Strega Nona". It is perhaps the world's best.

Strega Nona lives by her lonesome in a small cottage in Calabria, Italy. A witch by trade, she cures the townspeople of their ailments, warts, and headaches. When Big Anthony is hired on as Strega Nona's servant she gives him very strict instructions on what he is required to do, and what he is forbidden to do. Quoth Strega Nona, "The one thing you must never do is touch the pasta pot". You can probably guess where this is headed. After seeing the witch conjur delicious cooked pasta fully formed from the pot, Anthony is eager to prove this miracle to the people of the town. When Strega Nona leaves on a trip, Anthony speaks her spell and feeds everyone in the vicinity delicious piping hot pasta. Unfortunately, Anthony didn't quite catch the way to make the pasta stop flowing. As the villagers attempt to prevent the growing pasta from destroying their town, Strega Nona arrives just in time to put everything right again. Anthony receives a just comeuppance and all is well in the world.

I can't pinpoint what exactly it is about this book that touches me so deeply. Maybe it's the imagery in the illustrations. Strega Nona has a prominent recognizable nose and a babuska's kerchief about her head. She is constantly surrounded by large rabbits and peacocks, setting the tone of the life she leads. Tomie de Paola's illustrations always contain an element of spirituality in them, and in this case it comes in the form of the priest and nuns living in the town. I also am greatly attached to the book's choice of words. There's not a syllable out of place in this tale. Not a wasted consonant or a superfluous adjective. It is a perfectly told tale with illustrations that verge on the sublime. All in all, a great book for kids and adults alike.

Good for ages 2-1/2+ Boy or Girl
There's some good descriptions of the story so I won't go into it; however no one so far touches on what the age appropriate level is. It says 4-8, however, when I bought this book, I my kids were just 5 & 2-1/2 yrs old. We are avid(sp?) bedtime book readers, so I am not sure if it is unusual that my younger one listened to the long story as well as my older one. I just happened upon this book at a school book sale & was very happy I'd found it. I think it's a great gift book because it's different -- the town is covered in spaghetti & that's a bit funny -- there's the lesson in it--- and the kids get to imagin how bad of a stomach ache Big Anthony must have had after eating all the spaghetti. I am going to guess that this isn't in everyone's bookshelf, but it should be, so purchase away!

De Paola's Best Yet
Strega Nona (Grandma Witch) is about the beloved character with the same name. She lives in a small town in Italy, where she cures sickness and warts. When she hires Big Anthony to help her, trouble starts. When Anthony sees her through the window making pasta by chanting a few words, he tries while she is on a trip to see a friend. Kids will enjoy the humorous ending and classic illustrations. (...)