Big Anthony disguises himself as a girl in order to take magic lessons from Strega Nona.

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

In this holiday follow-up to Tomie dePaola’s Caldecott Honor–winning Strega Nona, our favorite Grandma-Witch is back and bringing her magic to Christmas with a town feast—can she count on Big Anthony as her only helper? It’s Christmas time in Calabria and with Strega Nona’s annual feast around the corner, she has no time for her usual magical tasks. Christmas has a magic of its own, and no one knows magic like Strega Nona does, especially Big Anthony. But with the clock ticking on her preparations, will Big Anthony finally be able to prove that he can be counted on with some magic of his own? With warm illustrations in Tomie’s classic folk-art style, this refreshed addition to the Strega Nona series is a must-have for fans of all ages.

Lately Strega Nona has been distracted-she even gave Signore Mayor the wrong remedy for his headache. One night Nona has a dream about her Grandma Concetta, who has been in heaven for many years, and her little house at the seashore. Nona decides that she will take a vacation there. While Strega Nona is away, Bambolona will do the daily remedies and Big Anthony will do the chores. With these two left in charge, what could possibly go wrong?

Enter the marvelous, magical world of Strega Nona! This wonderful treasury features six favorite stories about Strega Nona and her sidekick, the bumbling Big Anthony—including the original Strega Nona, as well as Strega Nona Meets Her Match, Strega Nona: Her Story, Strega Nona Takes a Vacation, Strega Nona’s Harvest, and Strega Nona’s Gift. Tomie’s brand-new introductions to each story take readers behind the scenes to see how Strega Nona’s world has developed through the years. Also including an original lullaby—with sheet music and a CD—a map of Strega Nona’s town, and some fun recipes, this collection will give readers and music lovers much to savor. Strega Nona, Tomie dePaola’s beloved “grandmother witch,” has been enchanting readers since the publication of the Caldecott Honor Award–winning Strega Nona in 1975. Strega Nona’s gentle humor, irrepressible spirit, and matter-of-fact approach to life have won her legions of fans young and old, and the American Library Association called her “an enduring character who has charmed generations of children.”

This is the beloved Strega Nona's own story, every detail just as she remembers it, from her childhood with Grandma Concetta, who trained young Nona and her best friend Amelia, to her early days in the little house on the hill and the happy moments when she met Big Anthony and Bambolona. It is the story of a most fascinating life that has influenced and delighted countless children and adults all over the world, and it all starts with the night Strega Nona was born, when the wind was blowing dark storm clouds across the hills . . . It's no surprise that award-winning author and artist Tomie dePaola was Strega Nona's choice as her biographer and portraitist, for he has put into books many stories that she has shared with him over the years, including Strega Nona (a Caldecott Honor Book), Strega Nona Meets Her Match, Strega Nona Takes a Vacation, Strega Nona's Harvest, Strega Nona's Gift, and Strega Nona Does It Again. Strega Nona's reaction when shown this book was, "Bravissimo, mio caro Tomie!"

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.