Strega Nona Takes a Vacation (Strega Nona)
by Tomie dePaola (Author) Tomie dePaola (Illustrator)
Lately Strega Nona has been distracted-she even gave Signore Mayor the wrong remedy for his headache. One night Nona has a dream about her Grandma Concetta, who has been in heaven for many years, and her little house at the seashore. Nona decides that she will take a vacation there. While Strega Nona is away, Bambolona will do the daily remedies and Big Anthony will do the chores. With these two left in charge, what could possibly go wrong?
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Publisher's Weekly
There's no rest for a talented strega. At least that's what dePaola's (26 Fairmont Avenue) beloved Italian witch, Strega Nona, concludes in her latest romp. Strega Nona has been dreaming of childhood vacations spent at the seashore with her Grandma Concetta, and in her waking hours, she's distracted, wondering what her dream means. After she nearly confuses several remedies, the villagers recognize the problem: "It looks like Strega Nona needs a vacation." Strega Nona gets the message after Grandma Concetta again visits in a dream, and soon she packs her bags and heads for Concetta's old seaside cottage, leaving her assistants–sweet, bumbling Big Anthony and practical Bambolona–in charge. She enjoys fishing, swimming and watching sunsets, and sends gifts, candy for Big Anthony and bubble bath for Bambolona. But when Bambolona takes charge of the parcel, she takes the candy for herself and hands the bubble bath to Big Anthony. The results–troublesome and very sudsy–are conveyed almost entirely visually, in warm panel art. The breezy text, peppered with Italian words, hums along as dePaola's sunny, airy acrylics demonstrate his fondness for these favorite characters and the old-world setting. Strega Nona, happily, proves as magical as ever. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-In this latest installment in dePaola's enchanting series, Strega Nona seems to need a break from her demanding job. She dreams of oceanfront vacations spent with her grandmother and begins to make addle-brained mistakes while she works. No fool, the good witch eventually takes the hint and goes on a well-earned holiday, leaving Big Anthony and Bambolona to mind the store in her absence. Everything comes off without a hitch until Bambolona makes one selfish mistake that ends up inconveniencing the entire village of Calabria, bringing Strega Nona home in a huff. However, all's well that ends well. DePaola's transparent acrylic illustrations alternate between full-page pictures and comic-strip storyboards and are as integral to the narration as the text. As with all of dePaola's storybooks, God is in the details, right down to Grandma Concetta's open arms beckoning from heaven in one of Strega Nona's happy dreams.-Catherine T. Quattlebaum, DeKalb County Public Library, Atlanta, GA
Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
DePaola has published almost 200 children's books in 15 different countries over the past 30 years. Among his most well-known titles are the Strega Nona series, 26 Fairmount Avenue, and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.
DePaola lives in an interesting house in New Hampshire with his four dogs. His studio is in a large renovated 200-year-old barn.
