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 in Strega Nona: Her Story, Strega Nona Meets Her Match, and Big 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