Children's Book Review: Strega Nona's Gift

Strega Nona's Gift
Written by:  Tomie dePaoloa
Published by: Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group, Inc.
32 pages

from goodreads.com:
In Strega Nona's village, the holiday season is a time of celebrations - and nothing says celebration like a feast! All the kitchens are bustling from the Feast of San Nicola, when the children choose the food, to the Feast of Epiphany, when someone gets to be king or queen for the day. Even the animals share in the holiday spirit, and when Big Anthony smells the delicious treats Strega Nona is cooking for them, he decides that just a taste couldn't hurt, right? Wrong! Big Anthony gets his just desserts, while Strega Nona surprises everyone with a special gift.

Starring two of Tomie dePaola's best-loved characters, this funny story features beautiful art, introduces young readers to Italian holiday traditions, and lands Big Anthony in yet another silly predicament that will delight fans young and old.
 
* Tomie dePaola has written over 200 books and has won numerous awards, including the most recent 2011 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his "substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children."  Strega Nona's Gift follows Strega Nona and Big Anthony in another adventure.  Check out Tomie's first book in the series Strega Nona if you have not been introduced to these two well-known dePaola characters. 
 
This book was a great holiday read.  It was very informative, as I had no idea that there were so many Italian holiday feasts!  Big Anthony also learns from a mistake that he's made and makes amends. 
 
Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!