Strega Nona

Author/Illustrator: Tomie De Paola
Genre: Traditional Literature
Award: Caldecott Honor
Grade: K-2

This book is about a woman named Strega Nona. She is known for curing headaches, removing warts, and getting young girls husbands.  As she gets older she starts to need help around the house so she hired a man named Big Anthony to help out. She gave him a bed, food, and three coins a day for all his help. The only thing he was advised not to do was touch her pasta pot. He overheard her one day singing to the pot as it made her pasta. He ran to tell the townspeople and they laughed. His day came soon enough that he was able to prove to the townspeople just how magical the pot was. But when it didn't stop making pasta Big Anthony was in trouble.  As Strega Nona arrived home she knew exactly what had happened and what to do.

This story would be great for students in K through second grade. It would keep them guessing what would happen next. This book could be during a lesson plan on sequencing stories.