Hang on to your pasta pots, Strega Nona fans! The much-loved "Grandma Witch"—first created by Tomie dePaola for his celebrated 1976 Caldecott Honor book, Strega Nona—is back.

So is Big Anthony, Strega Nona's bumbling assistant, and Bambolona, the overworked baker's daughter who learned to make magic from Strega Nona.

In this, Tomie dePaola's fourth book in the Italian folktale tradition, it's Christmastime in the little town in Calabria. There is no time for Strega Nona's usual business of curing headaches, mixing love potions, and getting rid of warts. Instead, it's time for her annual feast for the whole town, complete with bacccalà, or Italian codfish stew, roasted peppers, and Christmas cookies.

Christmas has a magic of its own, and no one knows more about magic than Strega Nona. Certainly not Big Anthony. But poor Strega Nona: How will she ever have her feast ready by Christmas Eve—with unstrustworthy Big Anthony as her only helper?

How Big Anthony proves he has at long last learned a thing or two about magic makes for a warm, beautifully illustrated tale that will charm the hearts of children—and be a cause for celebration among Strega Nona fans of all ages.

From the dust jacket