Another Great Children’s Book!

This is a wonderful, funny books for the Littles. If you are not familiar with it, get it! It’s worth sharing with your Littles, for sure.

Published in 1975, Tomie DiPaola’s Strega Nona centers on a kindly Calabrian witch whom townspeople visit for matchmaking, headache cures, and wart removal.

It’s a charming story with whimsical illustrations, and it quickly became a hit with both kids and educators upon its release.

It even won a 1976 Caldecott Honor — the distinction given to runners-up of the Caldecott Medal — and was among the New York Public Library’s 2013 list of 100 Great Children’s Books From the Last 100 Years. Since the late 1970s, the book has alsospawned a series of offshoots and sequels featuring the main characters — Strega Nona, of course, and Big Anthony, who helps her out around the house. 

Despite its accolades and popularity, however, Strega Nona was widely banned in American schools and libraries. Like other books that celebrate magic and the supernatural — such as the Harry Potter series and A Wrinkle in Time — the story was controversial for its positive depiction of witchcraft. Strega Nona is a witch, after all, and a well-liked one at that: Her magic pasta pot conjures delicious meals with one of her spells, and even the local priests and nuns visit when they need cures for their various ailments. 

Interestingly, many people initially believed the book was a retelling of an old Italian folktale. It certainly reads like one: After Big Anthony attempts to use magic in his boss’ absence, a massive pasta explosion ensues and Anthony learns a valuable lesson about respecting Strega Nona’s magic and cleaning up his own messes.  

But while the story does contain some popular themes, its premise is purely a work of DiPaola’s vivid imagination.

The source of the confusion can be traced to some very early printings of the book that dubbed Strega Nona “an old tale retold and illustrated by Tomie dePaola”.  

Newer versions attempt to clear this up, calling it an “an original tale written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola.”  

Read on!