
I've Read ‘Strega Nona' 100 Times. Now I Feel Sorry for Her Sidekick.
When I heard that 'Strega Nona' is turning 50, I did what any self-respecting book lover would do: I heated up a bowl of pasta and paid the signora a visit.
I remembered Tomie dePaola's Caldecott Honor-winning picture book for the same reasons you might: oodles of noodles pouring out of a cauldron, threatening to overtake a Calabrian village rendered in soothing earth tones; panicked locals; the titular grandmother sorceress who saves the town.
These are the ingredients that made 'Strega Nona' a classic, and the reasons it's the toast of classroom parties today. (Hello, parent boiling pasta before work and shoving it, still steaming, into a Ziploc bag. I see you!) As for Strega Nona herself, she remains a timeless style icon. Show me a woman who doesn't covet well-knotted scarves and toasty capes and I'll show you Miranda Priestly.
But the character who caught my eye on my anniversary reading hasn't inspired a postage stamp, a TikTok trend or a D.I.Y. Halloween costume. He received a nod in a 1975 New York Times review of 'Strega Nona' merely as a catalyst for his boss's heroism. Later he landed his own pair of books, but not before serving as the butt of the lesson for the bulk of Generation X.
His name is Big Anthony, and he's the awkward, galumphing antihero who makes 'Strega Nona' possible. Yes, he causes a boatload of trouble. I still think we should give him a second chance.
We meet Big Anthony on the fourth page of the book, after we've seen Strega Nona kibitzing with girls who want husbands and men who have warts. She has a practice to run — witchcraft meets homeopathy — and she's not getting any younger. In modern times, Strega Nona might pull a policy for long-term-care insurance out of her apron pocket. In medieval times, she posts a help-wanted flier in the town square.
'And Big Anthony, who didn't pay attention,' de Paola writes, 'went to see her.'
Hat in hand, eager to please, Big Anthony looks like the kind of guy who addresses you as ma'am even after you've invited him to call you by your first name, which Strega Nona most certainly has not. She rattles off a no-nonsense job description: 'You must sweep the house and wash the dishes. You must weed the garden and pick the vegetables. You must feed the goat and milk her. And you must fetch the water.'
There is a caveat, however: 'The one thing you must never do is touch the pasta pot.'
We know where this is going, but let's recap for the kids who, ahem, weren't paying attention the first time they heard this story. While Big Anthony is going about his chores, he spies Strega Nona crooning over her cauldron, which miraculously fills with pasta. He misses the part where she blows three kisses so the spaghetti stops multiplying.
Naturally, when Strega Nona zips off for a girls' weekend with Strega Amelia, Big Anthony tries his hand at the enchanted pot. He invites everyone in town to bring their forks, platters and bowls to Strega Nona's cottage. We can see the pride on Big Anthony's face — dePaola was the master of downward-facing eyelids — as guests line up for the feast.
There's plenty of pasta for everyone. Until there's too much — way, way too much. Spaghetti swirls out of the house and into the street, a nightmarish, glutinous river. As the villagers try to stave it off with mattresses, furniture and doors, Strega Nona serendipitously returns: 'She sang the magic song and blew the three kisses and with a sputter the pot stopped boiling and the pasta came to a halt.'
In my memory, the book ended here. I'd forgotten how the townspeople turn on Big Anthony. The men shout, 'String him up.'
But Strega Nona says, 'The punishment must fit the crime,' and she hands Big Anthony a fork: 'Start eating.'
When I was in my orange Toughskins jeans era, this sounded like bliss; the only thing better than all-you-can-eat spaghetti was a bottomless ice cream sundae.When I was in my please-go-to-sleep-so-I-can-have-a-moment's-peace era, it sounded like just deserts: a 'consequence,' if you will, for not listening.
Now I see the hellishness of the punishment, and its excess. Poor Big Anthony! He made a mistake and, hand to heart, he regrets it. Maybe Strega Nona could have imparted a more valuable lesson with public forgiveness. After all, what did her charge take away from punitive pasta consumption except a too-full stomach? (Here dePaola the artist fumbles, unless he intended for Big Anthony to look pregnant.)
I'm aware that 'Strega Nona' is a fable — equal parts 'Sweet Porridge' by the Brothers Grimm and 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' by too many contributors to count (and most famously starring Mickey Mouse). But, really, did this sincere young man deserve to be scorned and humiliated?
The first thing we learn about Big Anthony — he 'didn't pay attention' — lands now in a way it didn't when I was listening to 'Strega Nona' on the floor of my school library, or while turning the pages for my own children. This time, dePaola strikes a match of compassion across my formerly flinty soul.
I won't go so far as to suggest that Big Anthony might have had A.D.D.; far be it from me to diagnose a fictional character (or anyone, for that matter). At the very least, he could have used some understanding.
In 'Big Anthony and the Magic Ring' (1979), we once again catch wind of our friend's lackluster attention span:
He nabs a gold ring that transforms him into Handsome Big Anthony, able to dance the tarantella all night long. Disaster strikes (or does it?) when a mob of desperate ladies — Maria, Concetta, Clorinda, Rosanna, Theresa, Francesca and Clotilda — chase him up a tree. Readers can draw their own conclusions about the moral of the story.
Almost 20 years later, dePaola gave us 'Big Anthony: His Story,' a prequel of sorts following the town's scapegoat from babyhood until the day he walks through Strega Nona's door. From that moment on, Big Anthony is a reliable foil. And Strega Nona can be depended upon to rescue him from whatever scrape he finds himself in, even if she does so with the air of someone who would resurface a half-empty glass of milk leftover from dinner.
Next month, dePaola fans can look forward to 'Where Are You, Brontë?,' the maestro's final completed book, written before he died in 2020. Charmingly illustrated by Barbara McClintock (whose oeuvre includes the 'Adèle & Simon' books), this weeper features the ultimate sidekick: a loyal dog.
It's hard to imagine 'Where Are You, Brontë?' in the regular bedtime rotation, focusing as it does on the death of dePaola's beloved Airedale terrier. Nonetheless, it's a worthy, sensitive resource for a family coping with the loss of a pet. For me, staring down my youngest child's high school graduation, with our family dog's collar now in a shadow box in the living room, it was a lot to take. But, like 'Strega Nona,' the book is a reminder of the joys of companionship, even if the aftermath is bittersweet.
Which brings me back to Big Anthony, who is a gatherer of people in addition to being a guy who can't pay attention. He pays dearly for his swagger, having disobeyed an elder and thrown an unsanctioned party. But look how happy everyone is before it all goes wrong — neighbors and nuns, peasants and royalty bumping elbows as they twirl their spaghetti.
Had I been among the masses, I'd like to think I'd have appreciated Big Anthony's impulse to bring people together. Maybe this is his magic song, imperfect but important. And maybe, 50 years from now, we'll have learned how to come to the table (or the pasta pot) without rancor or recrimination. We can only hope.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
31 minutes ago
- New York Post
Americans roasted by Europeans over ‘primitive' eating habit: ‘Worse than nails down a chalkboard'
It's a fork-and-knife fight. A viral TikTok video showing an American woman attempting the 'European way' of eating has sparked an international food fight — and critics say her table manners are downright barbaric. TikTok user Amy Gordy @amygordy1 posted a now-viral video of herself trying out the so-called 'continental' dining style — the one where you don't play musical chairs with your utensils. Gordy, channeling her inner Emily Post, did her best to keep the fork in her left hand and the knife in her right — unlike the typical American technique of cutting food, dropping the knife, then switching fork hands like it's a culinary square dance. But her continental makeover quickly went off the rails. Viewers couldn't believe their eyes — or her grip. 'This has spun me out, I've never thought about how I use cutlery,' wrote one confused diner. Another viewer declared, after the clip was reposted on X (formerly Twitter): 'Americans are so primitive for world leaders!!! Hold your knife in your right hand! It's your dinner sword. Watching Americans eat is worse than nails down a blackboard.' The video — which racked up more than 2 million views and thousands of comments — didn't just spark etiquette outrage online. It also triggered a domestic dispute because Gordy's husband is heard saying in the background that his wife holding both utensils while he's talking to her is 'rude.' That had TikTok users clutching their pearls — and their cutlery. 'Him saying you're doing it wrong and that it's rude to hold your cutlery when speaking,' one user wrote in disbelief. Another piled on: 'Am I missing something??!? Eating properly is rude in America??' '… Dude sounds like a piece of work. People talk with utensils in their hands all the time, it's never been rude,' tweeted @thisisvertrying, who also reposted Gordy's original video. The clip clocked over 2 million views and thousands of comments — igniting a full-blown Euro vs. American cutlery clash online. sonyachny – Meanwhile, some critics nitpicked Gordy's fork-and-knife form, pointing out that she'd flipped her hands from the standard European setup. 'It's not the 'European Way,' it THE CORRECT WAY,' one commenter fumed. Others were more forgiving, insisting there's no 'correct' way to eat — as long as you're not launching mashed potatoes across the room. Still, for some Europeans, watching Americans carve up dinner like it's an Olympic event remains a horror show. 'I'm confused, so how do Americans use cutlery?' asked one commenter, apparently still recovering from the cultural whiplash. Knife to meet you, indeed. And while Gordy's utensil swap stirred the pot online, Brits like etiquette expert William Hanson would likely argue it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dining faux pas. Hanson — dubbed Britain's leading etiquette coach — recently stunned viewers by insisting there's only one proper way to eat a banana: with a knife and fork. 'No, we don't pick it up and peel it like a primate,' he said in a now-viral Instagram tutorial. 'Instead, we use a knife and fork. First, going from one end, cut it off, then cut off the other end, turning your knife on its side. Then score down the skin, peel back and eat like so.' His fruit-fueled formality didn't end there. As previously reported by The Post, in a follow-up, Hanson demonstrated the 'correct' way to eat grapes — using scissors to snip a smaller bunch onto a plate, naturally. At least that one didn't require cutlery.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wait, Did Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Actually Get Married?
Do you hear wedding bells? Because after Tom Holland and Zendaya's engagement, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's engagement, and those Suki Waterhouse and Robert Pattinson marriage rumors, it appears Hollywood does. And after all those Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift engagement rumors, Travis just spilled on his ideal wedding timeline — that's right, it appears our favorite IRL rom-com couple could be thinking about tying the knot! Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had a blast at Cole Kmet and Emily Jarosz's wedding on June 6, and Cole's event planner Ellie Nottoli showed off some special Easter eggs she incorporated into TayVis' attendance. The couple was assigned to Table 13 at the wedding reception (Taylor's famously lucky number!), but there was one other detail that immediately caught fans' attention: the letter was addressed to "Taylor and Travis Kelce." 'We all know Taylor and Travis were at a different wedding in Tennessee,' Ellie said on Instagram (via ). 'But each guest had an envelope that was adhered to a beautiful backdrop, and Emily wrote love notes to all of her guests.' "As a 2023 bride - we made this joke with a handful of our very close friends who'd been dating for awhile lol (they all took it in good fun)," one Swiftie , while another , "It has a lovely ring to it." A third Swiftie , "Ummmmm Taylor kelce does fit it should be TAYLOR SWIFT AND TRAVIS SWIFT." And one TikTok user that "in a married relationship it'd been written as Travis & Taylor Kelce big difference." The couple hasn't announced an engagement, but they're definitely happy and that's all I need to know! On a new episode of the podcast he hosts with brother Jason, Travis Kelce revealed he would like to avoid an autumn wedding day. And the reason is literally so on brand it makes me laugh. After a listener revealed over the phone that his girlfriend wants to schedule their wedding during football season, Travis admits that "I actually don't know people who've gotten married in the fall." "My friends always do it in the summer," he says. "I've seen weddings everywhere but the fall. So, I'm not sure if the fall is a good wedding season." The weather of an autumn wedding (not to mention the incredible aesthetic of the wedding photos!!) have always made it seem so dreamy. Plus, I've attended more than one summer wedding (some on the beach!) and it can get toasty under the summer sun. Spring then, Travis? Travis' comments come after he responded to rumors that he'd pop the question to girlfriend Taylor Swift. During the June 1 Big Slick Celebrity Weekend's onstage comedy sketch, Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis asked Travis about a potential engagement. "Hey Travis, real talk, OK, just the guys here," . "When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?" "Guys," Travis says, "you're really pushing it." It's a pretty kind way to say back off!! I'm excited for whenever Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tell us they're engaged — should they choose to share at all. Check out the latest news on ! This post has been updated.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Award Winning Actress, 48, Brings Her 3 Rarely-Seen Sons for Red Carpet Appearance
Award Winning Actress, 48, Brings Her 3 Rarely-Seen Sons for Red Carpet Appearance originally appeared on Parade. It was a family affair at the Hollywood premiere of Elio on Tuesday night, where Zoe Saldaña and her three sons stole the show. The Oscar-winning actress, 46, hit the blue carpet at El Capitan Theatre with her 10-year-old twins Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio, and 8-year-old Zen Anton Hilario, whom she shares with husband Marco Perego. The boys matched in black blazers, crisp white button-downs, blue jeans, and sneakers, while Saldaña rocked a rust-colored turtleneck blouse and a mustard-hued pencil skirt with brown pumps. In Elio, Saldaña voices Olga Solis. The Pixar film centers on her character's nephew, who gets abducted by aliens and mistaken for Earth's ambassador. 'I wanted to be able to be a part of great stories out there that my children can relate to from an early stage,' Saldaña toldEntertainment Tonight on the carpet. She added that her sons requested something different this year for summer vacation. 'Usually our summers are always spent traveling, and traveling around work and traveling in general,' she explained. 'This summer, they were very adamant about staying home.' Added Saldaña, 'Now they're getting older and they're not just little briefcases that you can take around with you. They have their own opinions, they make their own decisions, and they are very much about, 'This is what we want. We want soccer. We want music. We want playdates, but we want to be home.' So we're going to do that.' Award Winning Actress, 48, Brings Her 3 Rarely-Seen Sons for Red Carpet Appearance first appeared on Parade on Jun 11, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.