Strega Nona's Harvest

by Tomie dePaola

Book Overview

At harvest time, this beloved "grandmother witch" shares the bounty of the season

In this humorous tale, Strega Nona attempts to teach Big Anthony about gardening and the importance of orderly planting. But when Big Anthony does not follow her directions and uses her growing spell, his small vegetable patch turns into an unruly jungle What will they do with all the extra vegetables?

With beautiful illustrations reminiscent...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399252916
• ISBN13: 9780399252914
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.6" x 10.9"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Strega Nona

I ordered hardcover and I received paperback.

Classic Strega Nona & Big Anthony!

My 2nd grade son is a huge fan of the Strega Nona and Big Anthony books. This book was no exception; he loved it!

How does Strega Nona's garden grow?

Springtime is here, and that means it's time for Strega Nona to start her wonderful garden. But gardens don't just grow any old way. As Strega Nona works, she tries to teach Big Anthony about the importance of using order to create a big garden (and a little magic doesn't hurt either). Anthony wants to have a garden too, but when he doesn't listen to Strega Nona's advice it's going to get him into trouble as usual. Will Strega Nona have to bail him out again? As with most of the Strega Nona books, the real star is Tomie dePaola's beautiful illustrations. Young readers will enjoy searching out the details in each picture that help complete the story beyond just the text, especially in the ending. Existing fans of Strega Nona's will find all their favorite characters here, even if Big Anthony doesn't get into quite as much trouble as usual. A great picture book for gardening families in the spring or kids to read during fall harvests. Reviewed by Alyssa Feller

This lovely book was a gentle lesson book on how to treat the environment well and grow a "perfect"

Spingtime had arrived and it was time for Strega Nona to think about her garden. Her seeds had been hiding in a dark cupboard all winter because "they had to rest . . . so they will be able to do their job when we plant them in the garden." Big Anthony and Bambolona were very interested in the garden and wondered when the seeds would be planted. She said that "la luna-the moon" would tell her that information and then they would plant an orderly garden. Strega Nona had a garden book ("libro di giardino") she consulted so she would be able to see where each vegetable was planted so she could rotate her crop and protect the soil. "O Bella Luna, smile on me, And on the seeds I sow, And let the moonbeams shine from thee, To make my garden really grow." It was Big Anthony's job so spread the compost and manure and so he "put a clothespin on his nose and did his job." It was time to plant and everyone was excited, but when Bambolona started bossing Big Anthony around because he didn't plant straight rows he got upset and decided to plant his own secret garden. He wasn't as careful and when it started to grow it was a big mess. At the end of the harvest Strega Nona carefully filled her rafters and root cellar with the bounty. All of a sudden her doorstep was full of vegetables. Many of the gardens did not produce that year and when she took the extra to the Sisters at the convent they were very pleased, but who was bringing all those vegetables? This lovely book was a gentle lesson book on how to treat the environment well and grow a "perfect" little garden. The text and the illustrations teach young children the benefits of taking care of seeds during the winter, crop rotation, proper fertilization, a good time to plant seeds, the importance of watering the plants, storing the harvest and last, but not least, the importance of sharing one's bounty. I loved certain sections like the page where seeds are placed in bowls, labels and have illustrations of what they are. The book has a cute little twist at the end that will make the reader smile. This is the perfect book for the young, aspiring gardener!