Strega Nona
by Tommie de Paola
"Strega Nona" which means "Grandma
Witch" is the tale of an old woman who lives in the
small town of Calabria. The towns people respect her
wise ways and seek her magical potions whenever they
have troubles. Strega Nona, growing older and a bit
overwhelmed from having to care for her house and garden
(as well as the towns people), hires Big Anthony to help
her. She assigns him a long list of tasks, but
emphatically tells him to never touch the pasta pot. One
evening Big Anthony overhears Strega Nona singing the
magic words to the pasta pot. What he doesn't
"see" is the three kisses she blows to her pot
when she is finished. He thinks this is wonderful and
the very next day he tells all of the towns people about
the magical pot. Of course, no one believes Big Anthony
which angers him and makes him feel rather small. That
is when he makes up his mind to prove them wrong. When
Strega Nona travels to a nearby town to visit a friend
she leaves her trustworthy hired hand in charge, and Big
Anthony seizes the opportunity to "make pasta"
for the entire town. The town feasts on pasta, and hails
Big Anthony as a hero until he cannot stop the pasta pot
from making pasta and the town becomes smothered in
pasta. Strega Nona returns home, just in time to save
the town...and to punish her less than trustworthy hired
hand, by making him eat all of the left over pasta...a
punishment that fits the crime.
This beautifully illustrated book by Tomie de Paola
teaches children the importance of being trustworthy, an
attribute that will help them build many solid
friendships in their lives. Strega Nona entertains me(
in my adult childhood) with cherished thoughts and
memories of my Roman Catholic up bringing. The small
Italian village of Calabria, houses nuns and priests and
a "convent"! It would be my educational guess
that, few teenagers today even know what a convent is
(and that includes my own!) Big Anthony is told he
must go to confession. "What's that?" The same
teens might add. I thank Tomie de Paola for keeping this
historical part of my religious upbringing alive in a
book that I have repeatedly shared with my children, who
will someday hopefully share it with their
children....along with my recipes for pasta and tomato
sauce.
Kids Read Write and Cook: a learning activity
Make homemade pasta It is easy and fun; and you do
not need a magical pasta pot (but you can pretend!)
Create a math game out of it... ex. How much pasta must
we make to feed a town of 100 people? Tomorrow you can
read Judy Barett's "Cloudy With a Chance of
Meatballs" and make sauce and meatballs to go with
your pasta.
Homemade Pasta
Spaghetti &
Meatballs
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