Strega Nona Takes a Vacation
After dreaming about her childhood by the seashore with her beloved  grandmother, Strega Nona is distracted, wondering what it could mean. But when  she starts giving the villagers the wrong remedies for their stomachaches and  headaches, she realizes the answer: it's time for a vacation. Placing her  helpers, Bambolona and Big Anthony, in charge of the chores and daily remedies,  Strega Nona sets off, with just one warning: "Don't touch the pasta pot!"  (Everyone remembers when Big Anthony flooded the village with pasta.) All goes  smoothly on Strega Nona's long-awaited holiday--until she sends some gifts home  to her children. What harm can it do, Bambolona wonders, if she switches Big  Anthony's candy for her own bubble bath. The whole village will soon find out!Award-winning author and illustrator Tomie dePaola brings back his most beloved  character in this charming tale of bumbling innocents and happy memories  revisited. As inStrega Nona: Her  Story,Strega Nona Meets  Her Match, andBig  Anthony: His Story, this venerable folk healer and her friends, in their  idyllic Mediterranean setting, appeal to readers of all ages. (Ages 4 to 7)--Emilie Coulter