Strega Nona
Encyclopedia
Strega Nona is an original children's book written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola
about an elderly lady who helps her fellow villagers out with their troubles, most notably by curing headaches, helping single women find husbands, and ridding people of warts. It was published in 1975 and won the Caldecott Honor in 1976.
Strega Nona assigns Big Anthony to various chores around her house, but she also warns him not to touch her magic pasta
pot, an enchanted pot that produces pasta at the command of a spell. In the middle of one of his chores, Anthony spies on Strega Nona conjuring pasta from the pasta pot. He also watches as she commands the pot to stop producing pasta. Anthony does not observe Strega Nona blow three kisses after commanding the pasta pot to stop producing pasta.
When Strega Nona spends a day to visit her friend Strega Amelia, Big Anthony uses the opportunity to spread the news of the pasta pot and serve everyone pasta. However, because he did not know how to properly stop the pasta pot from producing pasta, the pasta continued to flow, flooding the town with pasta.
Fortunately, Strega Nona returns from her visit and commands the pasta pot to stop producing pasta, blowing three kisses after issuing her command. Big Anthony ends up having to eat all of the pasta that flooded the town as punishment for disobeying Strega Nona.
In other stories, Tomie dePaola writes about Strega Nona's life, telling the readers how she got the magic pasta pot and learned her magic. It all came from the help of her grandmother, Grandma Concetta.
Big Anthony also gains a biographical book, called Big Anthony, His Story which tells of his life since childhood and how his family noticed that Big Anthony simply does not pay attention.
In the Italian language
, the word "strega
" means witch and "nona" is a dialectical variation of the word "nonna", meaning grandma - hence Strega Nona, or "Grandma Witch". It is clear in the stories, mainly Strega Nona, Her Story, that Nona is her actual name. In colloquial Italian, "nona" is an affectionate term for "grandma", and "strega nona" means simply "old woman" or "old bat". The Italians also have stories about a witch (known as 'La Befana
') that brings presents to good children on the epiphany (January 6). Tomie dePaola also wrote a book concerning the Befana and her story, called The Legend of Old Befana.
Tomie dePaola
Thomas Anthony "Tomie A." dePaola , is an American author and illustrator of over 200 children's books, including Caldecott Honor book Strega Nona and Newbery Honor book 26 Fairmount Avenue. DePaola was awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal in 2011.-Biography:DePaola was born in Meriden,...
about an elderly lady who helps her fellow villagers out with their troubles, most notably by curing headaches, helping single women find husbands, and ridding people of warts. It was published in 1975 and won the Caldecott Honor in 1976.
Story
The story begins with Strega Nona who is seeking help from someone in both outdoor and indoor chores. The first to respond to her advertisement is tall, dimwitted Big Anthony.Strega Nona assigns Big Anthony to various chores around her house, but she also warns him not to touch her magic pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
pot, an enchanted pot that produces pasta at the command of a spell. In the middle of one of his chores, Anthony spies on Strega Nona conjuring pasta from the pasta pot. He also watches as she commands the pot to stop producing pasta. Anthony does not observe Strega Nona blow three kisses after commanding the pasta pot to stop producing pasta.
When Strega Nona spends a day to visit her friend Strega Amelia, Big Anthony uses the opportunity to spread the news of the pasta pot and serve everyone pasta. However, because he did not know how to properly stop the pasta pot from producing pasta, the pasta continued to flow, flooding the town with pasta.
Fortunately, Strega Nona returns from her visit and commands the pasta pot to stop producing pasta, blowing three kisses after issuing her command. Big Anthony ends up having to eat all of the pasta that flooded the town as punishment for disobeying Strega Nona.
Other tales
Strega Nona and Big Anthony also appear in several more books.In other stories, Tomie dePaola writes about Strega Nona's life, telling the readers how she got the magic pasta pot and learned her magic. It all came from the help of her grandmother, Grandma Concetta.
Big Anthony also gains a biographical book, called Big Anthony, His Story which tells of his life since childhood and how his family noticed that Big Anthony simply does not pay attention.
In the Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, the word "strega
Strega
Strega , is an Italian herbal liqueur produced since 1860 by the S. A. Distilleria Liquore Strega in Benevento, Campania, Italy. Its yellow color comes from the presence of saffron in its recipe. Liquore Strega is 80 proof and among its approximately 70 herbal ingredients are mint and fennel...
" means witch and "nona" is a dialectical variation of the word "nonna", meaning grandma - hence Strega Nona, or "Grandma Witch". It is clear in the stories, mainly Strega Nona, Her Story, that Nona is her actual name. In colloquial Italian, "nona" is an affectionate term for "grandma", and "strega nona" means simply "old woman" or "old bat". The Italians also have stories about a witch (known as 'La Befana
La Befana
In the Italian folklore, Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve in a similar way to Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus....
') that brings presents to good children on the epiphany (January 6). Tomie dePaola also wrote a book concerning the Befana and her story, called The Legend of Old Befana.