When Strega Nona's tomatoes are ready to pick, the 'grandmother witch' harvests them and begins to count them out, wanting to give some to the sisters at the convent. Called away by Bambalona, when the goat begins to eat the laundry, she isn't there when her bumbling assistant, Big Anthony, undoes all her work...

Introduced in 1975, in the Caldecott Honor-winning Strega Nona, this witchy figure has featured in eleven picture-books, as well as a pop-up book. Strega Nona and Her Tomatoes is the first of two beginning readers devoted to her adventures. It features a rather simplified text and story-line, compared to the full-length picture-books, and a counting element meant to appeal to younger children. Although simple, I found the storyline engaging enough - it's standard Strega Nona fair, with Big Anthony causing chaos - and I appreciated Tomie dePaola's trademark illustrations. It's meant to be a Level One reader, in Simon & Schuster's Ready-To-Read collection, intended to present "easy sight words and words to sound out." Although I thought some of the words were a little complex for this purpose - promised, convent, etc. - on the whole it succeeds. Recommended to Strega Nona fans who are just getting going with their reading. ( )