Strega Nona [Board book]

Tomie De Paola (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Classic Board Books

Strega Nona -- "Grandma Witch" -- is the source for potions, cures, magic, and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical everfull pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony. He is supposed to look after her house and tend her garden but one day, when she goes over the mountain to visit Strega Amelia, Big Anthony recites the magic verse over the pasta pot, with disastrous results.

In this retelling of an old tale, author-illustrator Tomie dePaola (whose middle names is Anthony) combines humor in the writing and warmth in the paintings as he builds the story to its hilarious climax.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The New York Times Book Review "De Paola's illustrations aptly capture the whimsy of this ancient tale... simple line drawings clearly reveal the agony and ecstasy of pasta power, the muted colors create just the right ambiance for a Medieval village."

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.

Product Details

• Board book: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little Simon (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689817649
• ISBN-13: 978-0689817649
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > European
  • #9 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > European
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Other

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bewitched by the best, April 26, 2004

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Strega Nona (Board book)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for ages 2-1/2+ Boy or Girl, October 25, 2007

By 

LAK "lakdek" (Newtown, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strega Nona (Board book)

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!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful "Grandmother Witch", February 15, 2011

By 

K. Nash (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Strega Nona (Board book)

Strega Nona (aka Grandmother Witch in Italian) is a true children's classic! A tale about an elderly witch who has a pot that can make pasta on its own! But things go wrong when Strega Nona's helper, Big Anthony, tried to make the villagers pasta to prove that the pot is indeed magic. A cute story that even the smallest of children can enjoy. Even the illustrations are great. Five stars!