Strega Nona

Strega Nona
By Tomie dePaola
Grade 3
FOLK TALE (Folk Literature)

I loved this book Strega Nona it is such a cute book to use in a classroom. I feel it is more suitable for third grade than 4Th or 5Th just because of the content. The book is about a woman named Strega Nona who was known as "Grandma Witch". She was was able to cure, make potions, and do magic in her town. People always went to her for help. One day Big Anthony, who was in the town, became interested in her magical pasta pot that was full all of the time. He looks after her house and tends to her garden but one day he got overly intrigued with the magical pot when she went over the mountain to visit Strega Amelia. Out loud he recited the magic verse over the pasta pot but something terrible happened! He was giving the pasta to everyone in the town and was so excited but didn't realize that the pasta was continuing to bubble and boil. The pasta filled up Strega Nona's house and came out of her house and started down the roads of the town. He recited the magic song again but nothing helped because he forgot the three kisses. The pasta spread throughout the town and Strega Nona knew exactly what happened when she came back and then she sang the magic song and blew the 3 kisses and the pot stopped. The people of the town got upset and wanted him tied up but Strega Nona said no and decided his punishment would be to eat the pasta all up so that she could get into her house and sleep. It is just a fun book and would be wonderful to have in the classroom.