That grandmotherly Italian witch, Strega Nona, who first appeared in 1975, in Tomie dePaola's Caldecott Honor-winning Strega Nona, and who has since gone on to star in ten other picture-books and two early-readers, returns in this delightful pop-up book featuring the paper engineering of Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. Here, in six marvelous 3-D scenes, Strega Nona presents the six ingredients necessary for a magical life. From family to food, from friends to celebrations, from patience to love - each of these ingredients is depicted in an intricate pop-up spread, with a small box of text on the page...

I grew up with Strega Nona, and have fond memories of reading and rereading the story of the Italian grandmother-witch, her bumbling assistant, Big Anthony, and the trouble he got into with her magic pasta pot. This past year (2020), I decided to revisit this old favorite, and to read all of the sequels, a project I greatly enjoyed. I'm very glad that my library was able to track down Brava, Strega Nona!: A Heartwarming Pop-Up Book, through inter-library loan, as I found it a wonderful treat, and an enchanting follow-up to the picture-books and early-readers about this character. Sabuda and Reinhart are giants in the field of paper engineering, and their pop-up books, whether created together or independently, are always a sight to behold. That is certainly true here, and I enjoyed examining the complicated and clever pop-up constructions. My favorite was undoubtedly the one featuring Strega Nona's family tree, although the banquet table under the arbor was a close runner-up. Sadly, this title appears to be out of print, but if one can obtain a copy, I recommend it to fans of Strega Nona, as well as those readers who appreciate pop-up art in general.

Note: As always, with Sabuda and/or Reinhart's work, I don't recommend this for very young children, save under the supervision of an adult, as it is expensive, and easily damaged. ( )

A long time ago there was an Italian grandmother who was a witch. Strega Nona is aging and needs some help. She hires Big Anthony to help out with household chores. Big Anthony discovers that she has a magical pot that continues to make pasta. Anthony shares with the town about the magical pot but to his dismay, no one believes him. He came up with a plan, as soon as she leaves, he will say the magic words and show everyone. As planned, she left, and he took action. He said the magic words and fed the whole town with pasta. However, he was unable to stop the magical pot, and it continue to grow, overtaking the house. Grandmother witch arrives home just in time, and she forces him to eat all of the pasta. Big Anthony eats all the pasta until he is ill. This Caldecott winner is full of bright and lively pictures that intrigue you with each page that is turned. The text is infused with Italian language and culture. The implied themes of honesty and trust are prevalent throughout the story making it a great read! ( )

This is an amazing pop up book that is so much fun! It gives 6 ingredients that make life magical in the most popping way. The flowing of the pictures and the detail makes you want to read the book forever. You also learn a few words in itlain. ( )

Many families can be traced way back into history. "Brave Strega Nona" is a pop-up book that helps children understand the meaning of family and traditions. Children understand, through the eyes of Nona, that she is who she is from her family, particularly her grandmother. Her grandmother has taught her many things that she still remembers today. This is how family always stay with you because they leave behind memories and traditions that are to be passed down among generations. This book also touches on culture. There is a different language that Nona uses from time to time in this text. This gives children a chance to see that many people come from multicultural backgrounds. Children need to understand diversity, and what better way to teach them than to read them a book? ( )

Teaches importance of family. ( )