Strega Nona

Author: Tomie de Paola
Title: Strega Nona: an old tale
Publisher: The Simon and Schuster Juvenile Division
Date: 1975
Age Level: Primary (K-2)
Summary: When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.
Strengths: I really like how the text and the pictures interconnect with one another. In this story, there are some pictures that have only one frame (or box) and many frames that shows what is going on (it's somewhat like a comic). When the author describes how Strega Nona helps the people, she puts the pictures above, and then the text so the reader can follow what she does. For example, when the author says "She could cure a headache, with oil and water and a hairpin, there are three frames above. The first one shows the person that has a headache (while Strega Nona prepares the cure). The second frame shows Strega Nona chanting, in front of the oils and water, holding a hairpin and the third frame shows the person thanking Strega Nona, for the headache has disappeared.
I also liked the color and settings of the pictures. It's not vibrant, but it actually gives a good setting for the time and place of the story. Strega Nona's and Big Anthony's attire and the tall trees in the background seem like this story took place in olden Europe (Italy to be exact). Also Tomie de Paola was great with white spacing (it makes the story look more traditional), and the linings and shapes of the pictures. Strega Nona looks short and round, but nonetheless, she represents kindness; caring for the town, yet she also has experience with her cures and magic potions. Big Anothony is tall and represents youthfulness and inexperience. The little houses were also cute (with their red roofs and the gray and white construction).
Tomie de Paola also added some Italian words such as "Strega Nona" which means Grandma Witch and "Gracias" which means thank you.
Concerns: I really have no conerns about this book. One of the things that did concern me was whether Tomie de Paola could have added more Italtian words so the readers might understand what the word meant as they read on. I also wonder why a bunny and a peacock are in this story? Perhaps they are Strega Nona's eyes while she is out of town. I also thought it was a little mean making Big Anthony eat all of the pasta he brewed. He did not know that he had to blow three kisses. However, the circumstances could have been much worse, for the townspeople wanted him to be punished serverely. Strega Nona was being somewhat leniant but still strict (since Big Anthony used her pasta pot).
Classroom Use: This could definitely be read to either first or second graders because they will better understand the story. This folklore would be considered a didactic story, because it shows that if you touch people's stuff without asking, then there might be consquences.