When Big Anthony borrows Strega Nona's magic ring to turn himself into a handsome man, he gets more trouble than fun.

Fans of dePaola's kindly Strega Nona will love this charming look at the early days of her good-hearted but clumsy helper, Big Anthony. Full color.

Tony dreams that one day he'll become the most famous baker in northern Italy. His poor daughter Serafina wants to be allowed to marry. Each of their dreams seems far away until Angelo, a rich young nobleman from Milan, appears and devises a way to make everyone's dreams come true.

From the day he is born on a farm in northern Italy, Big Anthony gets into trouble because he doesn't pay attention. When his father sends him south to become the assistant to Strega Nona, the cities he passes through--Pisa, Firenza, Roma, and Napoli--will never be the same! Full color.

Barbara Elleman’s insightful biography on Tomie dePaola captures the essence of the beloved author-illustrator through engaging stories, childhood photos, countless illustrations, and thoughtful analysis of decades of celebrated books. Tomie dePaola is one of the best-known and most beloved creators of books for children. His art and his stories, which are filled with imagination, humor, grace, and curiosity, represent a love of life that is reflected in everything he does. Barbara Elleman’s exploration of Tomie dePaola’s career takes a fascinating look at the many worlds dePaola has brought to life through his work: from autobiographical memories to folktales, religious stories, nursery rhymes, and more—including, of course, the inventive world of his most famous character, Strega Nona. Originally published in 1999 and filled with evocative artwork, captivating photographs, and heartwarming anecdotes, this comprehensive book has been updated to cover two new decades of dePaola’s creativity. Elleman’s thoughtful narrative brings a fresh appreciation to the work of a unique author-illustrator, one who is a true legend of children’s literature and a source of lasting joy for generations of readers, young and old.

Whether used for thematic story times, program and curriculum planning, readers' advisory, or collection development, this updated edition of the well-known companion makes finding the right picture books for your library a breeze. Generations of savvy librarians and educators have relied on this detailed subject guide to children's picture books for all aspects of children's services, and this new edition does not disappoint. Covering more than 18,000 books published through 2017, it empowers users to identify current and classic titles on topics ranging from apples to zebras. Organized simply, with a subject guide that categorizes subjects by theme and topic and subject headings arranged alphabetically, this reference applies more than 1,200 intuitive (as opposed to formal catalog) subject terms to children's picture books, making it both a comprehensive and user-friendly resource that is accessible to parents and teachers as well as librarians. It can be used to identify titles to fill in gaps in library collections, to find books on particular topics for young readers, to help teachers locate titles to support lessons, or to design thematic programs and story times. Title and illustrator indexes, in addition to a bibliographic guide arranged alphabetically by author name, further extend access to titles.

Without a doubt Chris Ware is one of the preeminent creators of comics today. He is a brilliant figure in a generation of extraordinarily talented people. Granted, there are a lot of innovators in the field right now, but no one else in the last seventy years has explored the capabilities of the genre to the same extent as has Ware. His genius, in part, comes from his interest in and understanding of the past accomplishments of figures such as George Herriman and Winsor McCay. One might even say that much of his work is somewhat archaeological in nature: he is interested in a reclamation of the past. Rather than merely excavating the achievements of past masters for the sake of history, however, Ware is also fortifying, expanding, and enriching comics so that it might flourish in the present. This work begins with a broad examination of the nature of comics. First by briefly discussing the cognitive operations involved in processing this hybrid medium, then by surveying the generic branches of comics, and then by offering an historic examination of its contemporary development, which goes back as far as the sixteenth century. Next is an analysis of comics in relation to literature, film, and the visual arts. Comics utilizes elements from all of these, but it also offers a unique narrative experience. This book primarily focuses upon Ware’s magnum opus to date, Jimmy Corrigan. It contextualizes his work within developments in comics over the last fifty years, as well as comparing him to other prominent figures such as Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, Daniel Clowes, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Lynda Barry, and Frank Miller.