Italian Childrens' Books!

No true Italian could ever forget reading Strega Nona as a kid. It's that heartwarming tale of how an old witch lady from Calabria and the infamous Anthony make her famous soup. In a desperate quest for Italian stories for kids, I recently found out that the talented author of these books, Tomie DePaola, has actually written a series of Strega Nona stories (as well as many others) for the very purpose that Una Mamma Italiana exists - to keep Italian culture alive.

He even has a Befana story.....and if you're not familiar with the legend of La Befana, keep an eye out for my December Article in La Voce!! (www.lasvegaslavoce.com)

That's what's so great about his stories - they are all about culture. Well, we LOVE Tomie for that. And...he even has a selection of Christmas stories that would make GREAT gifts this year. I am ordering the entire line for my kids this year. You can find some great deals on used books on Amazon, and I'll even bet ebay has a selection. To buy directly from Tomie's own hometown bookstore, go to http://www.morganhillbookstore.com/ where very copy you purchase is autographed by Tomie. Just click on "Tomie DePaola."

Here is a list of titles & prices form them for his Christmas/Thanksgiving/Religious/Easter books only. This is not even his entire selection of books and look how cute some of the stories sound! I can't wait to build up a library of these.

(list courtesy of Morgan Hill Bookstore)

Check out his personal site for so much more info! http://www.tomie.com/

Angels Angels Everywhere (14.99)

Christopher the Holy giant (17.95/6.95)

The Clown of God (16.00/7.00)

Country Angel Christmas (16.95)

Francis Poor Man of Assisi (18.95/9.95)

Get Dressed Santa (a board book 6.99)

Guess Who's Coming to Santa's for Dinner? (16.99/6.99)

The Holy Twins (18.99)

Legend of Old Befana An Italian Christmas Story (16.00/6.00)

Legend of the Poinsettia (16.99/6.99)

Mary the Mother of Jesus (16.95)

My First Thanksgiving (a board book 6.99)

The Night before Christmas (6.95)

Night of Las Posadas (16.99/6.99)

Parables of Jesus (8.95)

Pascual and the Kitchen Angels (16.99/5.99)

Patrick Patron Saint of Ireland (17.95/6.95)

Petook An Easter Story (16.95)

Tomie's Little Christmas Pagent (a board book 7.99)

To all other "Mamma Italianas" out there --- you owe this to your children...Italian bedtime stories are just one more way to keep the traditions alive in your families. Salute!