Strega Nona’s Gift by Tomie dePaola - OPTIONAL

dePaola, Tomie  Strega Nona’s Gift  PICTURE BOOK Penguin Young Reader’s Group, 2011. $17.99  Content: G.  The beloved characters of Tomie dePaola’s books celebrate the Christmas season in Italy.  Each of the feasts of the month of December is included and one feast is for the animals.  When Strega Nona asks Big Anthony to go out and feed the goat the special turnips that she made for the goat, they smell so good that Big Anthony can’t resist and finds himself eating the whole bowl.  As revenge the goat eats Big Anthony’s blanket.  At another feast Big Anthony is able to pick any meal that he would like, so he asks Strega Nona for the turnips that she had made earlier and then Big Anothony offered the turnips to the goat as a truce.  The last page in the book summarizes the different feasts.  The book has fun illustrations and a good moral, but it would help to give the reader some background on the celebrations.  EL (K-3), EL (3-6)-OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.