Children's Literature Review: Strega Nona

Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola

Published in 1975
Genre: folk tales, childrens

What does the text say?

• This is a folk tale set in Italy long ago. It is about a kind witch named Strega Nona who has a magic pasta pot. She hires a young boy to help her with housework, and he disobeys her by using her pasta pot when she isn't home. He makes the pot overflow and can't get it to stop making pasta. Soon the whole town is filled with pasta! 
• This story has a very old-time feel with a clear lesson of listening to elders and following the rules.

How does the text work?

• The sentences and words are probably at a second-third grade reading level. The concepts are not difficult to understand, however, so this would be a good read aloud for smaller kids.
• Lots of dialogue is used
• Some repetition/poetry is included as Strega Nona's magic spells/magic words

What does the text mean?

• As mentioned above, there is a clear "lesson" here in listening to elders and doing as we are told.
• The pictures are simple but unique and interesting.
• The pictures offer great visuals of what is happening, and can help younger kids to foreshadow what is going to happen later on in the story. 
• The text has some underlying themes about religion vs witchcraft, and life in medieval times, which could be a fun add-on for older children studying this time period or studying Christianity

How could we teach literacy?

• Predictions (comprehension): even kids who can't read this text yet can predict what will happen next! The pictures run from one page into the other and are very fun; kids will like to see the mounds of pasta and predict where it's going to flow next.
• Fluency: because this is a folk-tale, it almost has a sing-song feel when reading it aloud. This can help readers learn to be more fluent and to move words and sentences together more readily. Perhaps it could be taught as a reader's theater as well.
• Word recognition: The "magic words" are repeated many times in the story. They are simple and they rhyme. A younger reader who is working with a teacher or parent could learn to recognize and repeat these words aloud throughout the story. 

Background knowledge required

• Italy- show children where Italy is on a map, and describe the fact that this is set in probably the 1500s or 1600s. Children are already studying ancient China, Africa, and Rome around this age, so explaining that it was later than those societies but earlier than the Revolutionary War could help.
• Some knowledge of christianity- there are priests and nuns in the story, though they are not central characters. Giving an overview of Christianity for those who are unfamiliar could help- there are videos like Veggie Tales for this!