Strega Nona Takes a Vacation

Starred review from September 11, 2000
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 assistantsDsweet, bumbling Big Anthony and practical BambolonaDin 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 resultsDtroublesome and very sudsyDare 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.

October 1, 2000
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.

October 15, 2000
Ages 5-8. After two very convincing dreams marked by advice from her deceased grandmother, Strega Nona decides she needs a vacation. She carefully instructs Bambolona and Big Anthony regarding everything they should (and should " not") do and then sets off for some much-needed R and R at the seashore. Later, Bambolona intercepts a package from her employer and, deciding that she prefers candy to bubble bath, switches the gift tags. Big Anthony uses too many of his new bath crystals and creates an avalanche of soapsuds flowing through the town. DePaola's ever-popular characters remain true to form in this latest offering, and series fans will enjoy the references to previous stories. The dream memories, involving a young Nonalina and her attentive grandmother, will also please young listeners. As always, dePaola's rich acrylic illustrations carry the story--sometimes even without the aid of text--making this a fine choice for both story hours and lap sharing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2001
After dreaming about her grandma Concetta's "little seashore house," Strega Nona decides to go on vacation. She leaves Big Anthony and Bambolona to mind things, knowing that the town was overrun with pasta the last time Big Anthony was left in charge. The story is cheerfully predictable--readers expect Big Anthony to make a mistake and Strega Nona to make things right again. The pastel-colored palette and curved lines set a light tone.

(Copyright 2001 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)