Customer Reviews

Strega Nona (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. Strega Nona was one of her picks.

This is an engaging tale of an elderly woman everyone called Grandma Witch, or Strega Nona. She helped everyone with their troubles, even the priest and the sisters in the convent. She could cure headaches, help girls get husbands, and get rid of warts.

Because she was old, she hired Big Anthony to help her with the indoor and outdoor chores. Big Anthony was told not to touch the pasta pot, and he agreed. But one day he saw that she could turn it into a magic pasta pot by singing to it. Unfortunately, Big Anthony did not see all of the magic spell she used.

One day when Strega Nona went to visit her friend Strega Amelia, Big Anthony saw his chance!

Using the magic pasta pot by invoking the magic words, soon Big Anthony has enough pasta for everyone in town. People are very impressed and eat with him. Then he says the magic words to make it stop, and it continues (because he hadn't seen Strega Nona blow three kisses as part of the spell). Soon the pasta is coming out the door and threatens the town!

Fortunately, Strega Nona returns and saves the day. But she wants to sleep in her bed that night. So she tells Big Anthony to start eating pasta to make room for her!

The illustrations are very colorful and beautiful to behold. They are in a simple style that is appealing to young children. I would have enjoyed the book personally, just for the illustrations.

The story is told in a friendly, humorous way rather than a frightening way. You can compare this story to Walt Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice and this one is definitely lighter and more appealing for young children.

My daughter loved to read this story to me, as well as having me read it to her. She loved to laugh at the sight of all that pasta!

The story has won a Caldecott award, which is well deserved.

Overcome your stalled thinking that children don't enjoy stories about witches! In fact, love of this book may be behind the interest in Harry Potter!

I remember mom reading this one to me as a child. It was a bedtime ritual. The story is a fun blend of fantasy, magic, and adolescent mischief that ends with an interesting lesson. Tomie De Paola is a great children's writer. I recently took this book to read to some children in a local elementary school and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Seems age appropriate for kids Kindergarten and older (adults too ;).

This children's book is based on an Italian folktale about a friendly Grandma Witch ("Strega Nona") who has a magic pot that makes pasta. A young man named Big Anthony gets into trouble when he tries to use it. This small volume serves as a prequel to a whole series of books about Strega Nona and children who enjoy Italian folktales will want to have this volume. This book was a 1976 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a children's book.

Tomie's excellent re-telling of the claasic italian child's tale is essentially The Sorcerer's Apprentice with less-than-dire consequences - introducing Big Anthony as the apprentice, Strega Nona cautions him against using her magical pasta pot. My 2 year-old daughter really loves this tale, and I am really pleased to re-read it to her. A natural, must-have for Italian-American children - who frequently lack cultural ties to Italy. The artwork is top notch and Tomie's writing is appropriate for any child older than 2.

I like the book Strega Nona because big Anthony makes the pasta pot overflow. And the entire town was covered with pasta. When Strega Nona came back, big Anthony had to eat all of the pasta.

Most all kids love pasta and will also love Strega Nona. This Grandma Witch in Italy teaches Big Anthony (her big lug of an assistant) a few lessons in cooking pasta and about life. A beautifully told and illustrated story by Tommie Depaola. Kids and adults of all ages and ethnicities will love this Italian folk tale.

This is a lovely and warm book about Grandma Concetta, an Italian "strega" (someone with "lotions and potions" and "good advice"), and her devoted granddaughter, Nona. Nona and her friend Amelia go to a modern school for magic, but Nona misses her grandmother and the village and leaves the "Accademia." (Italian words are sprinkled throughout for atmosphere and authenticity.) She envies Amelia's diploma from the Academy for Stregas. But Grandma Concetta consoles her: "you don't need a diploma to be a true strega. You already have everything you need... And when I pass my practice over to you, I will tell you the ingrediente segreto-the secret ingredient. Then you will not only be a true strega, but a great one." Concetta eventually reveals that the secret ingredient to all the potions made in her pasta pot is love.

This is a quiet magic story, with no great adventures or battles. There's a bit of humor(Amelia curls Nona's hair until it becomes a beehive of a perm; Nona uses olive oil -instead of magic-to get a goat off the roof), but it's not really a funny book. Mostly it is a calm, sweet tale of tradition and of people helping each other. The illustrations are beautiful: The long flowing lines, religious icons, rich colors, and patterned borders recall a tapestry, but lighter and simpler, like the book itself.

I am 7 years old and I like these books because they are fiction with a lot of imagination. The author makes us see what the people do and hear magic spells. My favorite part of the first book he wrote was when Big Anthony exploded the whole world with pasta. I am waiting for the author's new book because my father and I already read last year's and every one. If I could give the book six stars, that's what I would do.

This is a very good book. Big Anthany is not a good listener. Big Anthony sings the magic song and then pasta floods the town.

Ah...the memories. I remember reading this at story time when I was in grade school (kindergarten or first grade...not sure which) and I just had to share it with my own kids. Strega Nona (Grandmother Witch) is a classic and with good reason. It's got the old grandma witch who helps people with her magic (potions, cures, and sometimes just plain ol' good advice)...but she's getting on and she advertises in town for someone to help her out. Big Anthony (who apparently doesn't listen so well) fits the bill nicely and moves into Strega Nona's place (room and board included for all his work).

I grew up with Strega Nona's tale and love the simplicity and straightforwardness of the tale, I think what keeps it relevant and still readable after all this time is that it's got an old world feel to it (the artwork, while somewhat flat, the muted colors give it a feel of age and old world charm). The story itself while a moral tale about what happens when you don't do as you're told, is told with humor and pasta...who doesn't love pasta (well, maybe not Big Anthony after Strega Nona is done with him...he, he)!

This is a classic that keeps on going with good reason! I give it an A+, even after all these years!