Strega Nona

Written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Book #1 in the Strega Nona series

A magic pasta pot causes chaos when misused.

5.3/7 Bookroo experts·4.3/5 Goodreads · 90,768 ratings

40 pages· 1,278 words· Est. 10 min read-aloud· AD730L

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Bookroo's summary

In a quaint Calabrian town, Big Anthony is left alone with Strega Nona's magical pasta pot. Eager to impress, he unleashes its power, but without knowing how to stop it, chaos ensues. As pasta floods the town, can Big Anthony find a way to fix his mistake before it's too late? This humorous tale of magic and mischief will leave you wondering if curiosity truly killed the cat—or just filled the town with pasta.

From the publisher

When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works in this classic Caldecott Honor book from Tomie dePaola. 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 combines humor in the writing and warmth in the paintings as he builds the story to its hilarious climax.

Awards

Caldecott Honor (1976)

At a glance

Format
Pages: 40
Words: 1,278
Reading age: 4–8
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD730L

Themes & topics

Books about listening Books about powers Books about cooking Books about witches Books about food

Inside the book

A peek between the covers

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.3

out of 7

5.5

“At our house, we have loved Tomie De Paola books for decades. The original Strega Nona is a big favorite! There are so many wonderful things about this book: the importance of listening carefully, trust, independence, natural consequences and having the punishment fit the crime, best of all, the magic in this book is really just three kisses. The color palate for DePaola's illustrations is right out of 'once upon a time' in Italy, as are the architectural details and costuming. It is a gentle cautionary tale with manageable consequences--which is a good thing because there is a little Big Anthony in all of us.”

Grammy

Trusted reviewer

The author & illustrator