Strega Nona's Gift
The latest picture book in the popular, enduring series that began with Caldecott Honor Book Strega Nona (1975) weaves Italian holiday traditions into a lively story about Big Anthony, a tall boy, and his grandmother in their Italian village. From Christmas to the Feast of San Silvestro to the Epifanía—the Feast of the Three Kings—his Big Anthony celebrates and feasts through December and January, and along the way, he messes up. In one scene, for example, he gobbles up the delicious turnips that Strega Nona cooks for the goat, so the goat gobbles Big Anthony’s blanket . . . . Kids will enjoy the mischief and the turnarounds, shown with gentle humor in the joyful acrylic-and-watercolor pictures filled with food, singing, and dancing.       HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Strega Nona holds a key spot in the pantheon of classic children’s book characters; expect instant and enduring demand. Grades K-2. --Hazel Rochman