Pasta All Day, Every Day

Strega Nona
Written & Illustrated by Tomie dePaola
Age Level: 2-6 Years
Published August 1, 1975
1976 Caldecott Honor Book

There’s only one rule…

Tomie dePaola stole my heart as a child with this story about a bottomless pot of pasta, and I never outgrew my love of the tale - or carbs.

Strega Nona (which translates to “Grandma Witch” in Italian) is known throughout her Calabrian village for having a magic touch. She’s your go-to for curing headaches, getting rid of warts, and even snagging a husband. But she’s getting old and tired and could use some help. So she hires Big Anthony. He has a bunch of chores, but only one rule: NEVER touch the pasta pot. But when Big Anthony witnesses Strega Nona singing a magic spell that causes the pot to cook pasta all by itself, the temptation is too great to bear.

“But the pasta did not stop and if someone hadn’t grabbed poor Big Anthony, the pasta would have covered him up. The pasta all but filled the little house.”

The calamity that ensues is comical and suspenseful. Will Big Anthony be able to stop the pot from producing pasta before the whole town gets buried in noodles?!

There are of course lessons about following directions, paying attention to details, and warnings about “learning things the hard way” (which I tended to do as a child,) but this book is also just pure fun and utterly bewitching.