Strega Nona

Rating:
Summary: Bewitched by the best
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: De Paola's Best Yet
Review: 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. (...)

Rating:
Summary: Strega Nona
Review: This book was about a witch named Strega Nona who needed help to do work around the house, so a boy named Big Anthony came to help her. But he learend how to work Strega Nona's pot and made spaghetti for the whole town. When he told the pot to stop it just made more. Strega Nona blew three kisses the pot stopped, and big Anthony had to eat all the spaghetti. The funny pictures were colorful and made me feel happy.This strange tale teaches a lesson for all ages.