Strega Nona Meets Her Match

When Strega Nona's friend, Strega Amelia, comes for a visit, the other witch is surprised to find that Strega Nona maintains the old ways. Thinking that her own, updated methods will be more successful, Strega Amelia moves to town, and soon enough all of the townspeople are going to her shop to have their problems solved. With Strega Nona's purse becoming empty, Bambolona and Big Anthony must be laid off. The latter gets a job with Strega Amelia, who is not wise to his ways, and leaves him in charge while she heads out of town for a few days. Soon enough, the townspeople have returned to Strega Nona...

Strega Nona Meets Her Match is the fifth picture-book featuring the eponymous 'Grandmother Witch,' who made her debut in 1975, in the show more Caldecott Honor-winning Strega Nona. Like its predecessors, it pairs a humorously magical story with amusing illustrations. Author/illustrator Tomie dePaola's style is unmistakable, and for someone who grew up with it (as I did), quite comforting. I thought, going in, that perhaps Big Anthony was going to pull a fast one, and intentionally sabotage Strega Amelia, but as it turns out, he didn't need to intend to do it, for it to happen, something Strega Nona, in all her wisdom, obviously expected. This added to the humor of the conclusion, which is (of course) happy. Recommended to Strega Nona fans, and to picture-book readers who enjoy humorously fantastical stories. show less

From over the mountain Strega Amelia comes to visit Strega Nona and is amazed that Strega Nona has so many clients when she only uses the old ways to help them. Several days later Strega Amelia moves into the village with her new equipment and sets up shop. Slowly all the villagers stop coming to Strega Nona so she has to tell Big Anthony and Bambolona that she has no work for them. Bambolona goes to work at the bakery with her father but Big Anthony gets a job with Strega Amelia. The first weeks are fine but when Strega Amelia leaves for a few days and puts Big Anthony in carge, well, let's jusst say, Strega Nona was back in business shortly!

Just love these little books!

My heart belongs to the original Strega Nona (she of the magic pasta pot), but this one is good too: she lends bumbling Big Anthony to her rival, putting her out of business and sending her back where she came from.

Strega Nona, the kind-hearted witch known for her magical cooking, encounters a new character who challenges her skills. This engaging story features humor and magic, as Strega Nona must outsmart her rival while maintaining her warmth and wisdom. The narrative highlights themes of friendship, problem-solving, and the value of tradition.

This book is a sequel to "Strega Nona," but it stands alone as a story as well. Strega Nona is a witch craft medicine maker and heals all the towns people. One day, Strega Amelia shows up and steals all of Strega Nona's customers with her modern technology. When Strega Nona's assistant, Big Anthony, goes to work for Strega Amelia, things go bad, and in the end Strega Nona gets all her customers back.

Despite Strega Amelia stealing all of Strega Nona's customers, she always remains calm and never gets mad, showing how to be a good sport.

This book would be good for a discussion about competing against a friend but remaining a good sport.

The pages have more text, and denser vocabulary. Also, the author incorporates Italian words.

I loved reading Strega Nona meets her match by Tomie dePaola. It was an interesting story about an old lady whose friend comes to visit. When Strega Amelia visits, she realizes that Strega Nona cures headaches and warts and also helps others find husbands. Strega Amelia then tries to get the townspeople to start going by her by using high tech products to fix those issues instead of Strega Nona’s “old-fashioned remedies.” Slowly she loses all of her costumers and even her workers. Big Anthony started work with Strega Amelia and doesn’t do good when she goes out of town. She loses all of her costumers and they all go back to Strega Nona claiming the old fashioned way is better. This is a great story with lots of humor and teaches show more children about manners. I love the Italian spread that dePaola has throughout the pages of this beautiful text. His illustrations make this humorous story funnier. For example, when the mayor goes in so big Anthony can try to cure his headache, but the machine ends up malfunctioning. It was an enjoyable read! show less

Strega Nona always seems to come out on top with a bit of patience and some sly, cunning knowledge, she waits it out without losing her temper or blowing that calm, knowing image...it's priceless in many ways. A lesson from Strega Nona is always welcome, here the lesson we learn is about competition...when Strega Amelia comes to visit and sees how many people come to Strega Nona she's impressed and you can see the gears turning...she thinks she can do better with her modern ways. Strega Amalia immediate beats feet back home and shows up a few days later with three wagon's loaded down with her modern witchy machines and contraptions; as we all remember, Strega Amelia favors the "new" ways and Strega Nona favors the old ways...both valid show more for the women in question, but are Strega Amelia's ways for this town? Bambalona is outraged by Amelia's modern ways...wooing customers away with sweet treats and cappuccino and even more upset when all Strega Nona's customers turn to Strega Amelia and even Big Anthony signs on as her helper...but Strega Nona knows something Bambalona doesn't and blesses the arrangement. All seems to go well until Amelia has to leave for three days to fetch the rest of her stuff and leaves Big Anthony in charge...Strega Nona would have known better! Read and find out what happens to Strega Amelia and about all the silly and forgetful things Big Anthony does with her equipment! Another 5 star story from Tomie de Paola, Strega Nona Meets Her Match Indeed...it's told in the same simple yet timeless style as his other Straga Nona titles and we simply can't get enough of this trio and their silly adventures that always leave us with a smile and a wise lesson learned! show less