Strega Nona's Harvest

by Tomie DePaola

Paper Book, 2009

Status

Available

Call number

[E]

Publication

New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2009.

Description

After helping Strega Nona plant her vegetable garden just so, Big Anthony takes some extra seeds and sows another garden willy nilly, then must find a way to deal with the consequences.

User reviews

LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26

That 'grandmother witch' Strega Nona returns in this ninth picture-book devoted to her magical doings, this time planting a garden in her own time-honored tradition. As her plants grow in orderly rows, the secret garden planted by her bumbling assistant, Big Anthony, is a riot of confusion. When

harvest time comes, Strega Nona has all that she needs, but finds that someone (Big Anthony) keeps leaving more produce at her door. Upon discovering that the people in town had a bad harvest, she knows what to do with the surplus...

Published in 2009, some twenty-four years after the initial Strega Nona story, Strega Nona's Harvest is a celebration of the bounty of the earth, and of the beauty and joy of the autumnal harvest season. The story here mirrors that in Strega Nona, in the sense that Big Anthony overhears and repeats his witchy employer's magical incantation, but in this tale Big Anthony's 'mistake' leads to a good result, in the form of a harvest feast for the entire town. I enjoyed author/artist Tomie dePaola's narrative here, and I especially enjoyed his bright, autumn-colored illustrations. Recommended to Strega Nona fans, and to anyone looking for fun picture-books featuring the fall season.

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LibraryThing member AshleyCampbell

This is a good story for middle elementary aged students. The pictures are fun and colorful, with great characters. The book is set in an old Italian village, and Stega Nona uses Italian words when she speaks. Sharing and folktale themes are present.

LibraryThing member mopbroek07

Stars: theme
Age: Primary

This book is a good example of fantasy because Strega Nona's "secret ingredient" would not work in real life. While most of the story could take place in reality, the impact Strega Nona's secret song has on the amount of crops that grow makes the book a fantasy. When Big

Anthony blows kisses at the moon too many times, his crop overflows in an extremely exaggerated and unrealistic manner.

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LibraryThing member Ms.Penniman

Retelling: Big Anthony helped Strega Nona with the harvest but he found Strega Nona and Bambolona to be very bossy. He decided to plant his own garden in the back of the house and do it his way. When it came time to collect the harvest, the family had too many vegetables so, like they have in other

Strega Nona books, they used them to feed the town.

Thoughts and Feelings: It seems to me, Big Anthony has gone through an awful lot of trouble just to prove a point. At least his vegetables went to a good cause.

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LibraryThing member dukefan86

I loved the colorful illustrations and talk about gardening! I'm not sure why Big Anthony's secret garden was so successful, but I enjoyed the ending!

LibraryThing member brandib90

“Strega Nona’s Harvest” we once again see a wonderful story told in a way that students could understand. This is another story where Big Anthony doesn’t listen when he is given instructions. He is also looking for the easy way out when he wants something, instead of working hard to achieve

his goals. There is some good that comes from Big Anthony’s mistakes, with all of the food that Big Anthony grows that are able to feed their entire town. This book could teach students that even if they make a mistake sometimes they might be able to make something better from their mistakes. Also the students will realize that they need to listen to the directions that they are given.

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LibraryThing member dms02

Another one to read in the cold months when we are garden planning. Big Anthony is up to his usual antics...and is saved by Strga Nona's kind heart - as she donates the over abundance to those who had a bad garden season.

LibraryThing member LorraineAllen

Summary: Strega Nona tries to teach Big Anthony about gardening and the importance of order, but when Anthony does not follow her directions and uses her growing spell, his small vegetable patch turns into an uncontrollable jungle.
Personal Reaction: A great book by dePaola. Students will enjoy

seeing familiar characters in the harvest book.
Classroom Extension: Book can be shared during the Fall season or about gardening. It also focuses on sharing. Science-seeds

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LibraryThing member wichitafriendsschool

Strega Nona has been a long time favorite for many children, and I was tickled to see a new volume arrive. As expected, the illustrations are charming. We see Big Anthony, Stega Nona, Bambalona, the villagers, the sisters and the priest in here, but the element of mischief is a little weak. In the

other books in the series Big Anthony gets himself into major trouble and Strega Nona must bail him out.

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