Strega Nona

Rating:
Summary: A great old re-told tale!
Review: This classic story by dePaola is wonderful. The way he illustrates books is my favorite part and his writing and humorous stories makes his re-tellings better than any other authors or illustrators. I am sure if you read this book you would feel like you were in the story. The funniest part is when Big Anthony uses Strega Nona's pasta pot it floods the whole town with pasta. I am not going to tell you anymore...I won't give anything else away.

Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2* Pasta d'Amore
Review: 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.


Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, fun children's classic.
Review: With illustrations reminiscent of the "Fractured Fairy Tales" and a simple magical plot, your kids will ask for this one again and again. A Caldecott Honor Book. And no wonder! The pictures, in muted colors, fill the pages and tell the story beautifully. Fun to read out loud. And a must for your child's library.