| Title | : | Brava, Strega Nona!: A Heartwarming Pop-Up Book |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0399244530 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780399244537 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Novelty Book |
| Number of Pages | : | 12 |
| Publication | : | First published October 30, 2008 |
Brava, Strega Nona!: A Heartwarming Pop-Up Book Reviews
-
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. -
While the subtitle claims to be a heartwarming pop-up book, I would describe it as a heart-stopping pop-up book. Some of the pages fly open to form such complex and amazing structures that I found myself simply sitting and closing and opening the book again and again to see the pop-up work.
The combination of dePaola's simple illustrations and these amazing pop-ups is utterly charming. Though the pop-ups are complex but stay in tune with the style of the illustrations, embracing the feel of Strega Nona entirely.
This is a winner of a pop-up book. My favorite spread is the grape arbor which pops to life before your eyes. Though I must say that the one that got a gasp out of me is the noodles spilling - literally- right into the reader's face. Enjoyable and great fun, this of course will not survive classroom use or public checkouts in a library. But what a treat to pull out for special storytimes. -
Tomi dePaola and Robert Sabuda together! What a fantastic combination! Magical, as one would expect from these folks.
-
Brava Srega Nona! A Heartwarming
Pop-Up Book by Tomi dePaola
and Paper Engineers: Robert
Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart.
Oh, do I ever LOVE this book; I just know you will, too. The original Strega Nona book won a Caldecott Honor in 1976. The paper engineer, critically acclaimed and award-winning, Robert Sabuda, helped create this book with Matthew Reinhart and award-winning author Tomie dePaola. What a pairing of talents and abilities.
The story is utterly charming, creative, and as the book title indicates, "heartwarming." The story focuses on the ingredients of a magical life. dePaola has chosen: Famiglia - Family; Mangia - Eating together; Amici - Friends; Pazienza - Patience; Celebrazione - Celebration; and, the
The pop-ups from Brava Strega Nona! are just beautiful! The book, itself, is about Strega Nona's magical life and all the ingredients that make it so. Her cooking pot is in the center of one pop-up and it is overflowing with love. As that page indicates: Amore--Love. The ingrediente segreto--secret ingredient. Always share your love and it will bring you a magical life. wonderful, magical, secret ingredient... well, it is none other than, Amore - Love.
Together they (all the ingredients) combine to create a magical life. How fitting to read this book on Valentine's Day, but I think it could be read any day. Any day, that is, you want to smile, feel love, and experience a magical life.
This beautiful book is available on Amazon as a collectible from $29.95, as new, starting from $17.74, and as used from $15.27. This book is the very first new book I purchased in 2014 (the first week of January), and I have enjoyed it immensely. I am exceedingly happy I bought this book. This hardbound book is on very good quality paper, it has a heartwarming story, the paper engineering is masterful, the use of color throughout is exciting and the price is right. My recommendation? Buy it...for yourself...or...for someone special in your life.
________________________
I want to thank you for joining me this week to help celebrate Valentine's Day, and to discover a few quick pick books that you can enjoy. I hope you find something in this potpourri of books that will suit your taste in reading. If not, go to a library, on-line book store, or take something down from one of your own book shelves and start reading. Remember that you are precious and that you are loved. -
Originally posted on my blog,
Nine Pages.
Robert Sabuda is the king of pop-up, and I had never seen one of his books so well preserved (this one was in the library rather than in the bookstore) so that even the water in the fountain turns and the fountain is still attached to the page nor have I ever felt so free to really explore one of Sabuda’s masterpieces knowing that this copy was meant to be explored and not meant to be purchased. There’s not a whole lot of story here. There are a few Italian words—famiglia, amore, mangia, amici, celebrazione—translated and then their place in Strega Nona’s life explained just briefly: her family tree and her family history, her Grandma (Nonna) Concetta the strega who taught her magic; the love that is the secret to her recipes; the friends she sees all over town; the food she share with friends and family; the village celebrations of which she likes to be in the middle. This story means more to me as someone whose family is Italian; these are words that have peppered my life too. The value of this book is in the bit of Italian language that it teaches and in the pure wonder of Sabuda’s pop-ups. -
This book would have earned two and a half stars from me if it had been written by Tomie dePaola, but it feels a bit strange to have a Strega Nona book not be written by him. So, I would give "Brava, Strega Nona!" either two or two and a half stars.
I actually preferred this book to the original "Strega Nona". Obviously, what really pops out (no pun intended!) at the reader is the remarkably fine quality of the pop-up pictures. This is truly the finest pop-up art that I have yet seen in any book, and it did much to positively enhance the story's ambience. Matthew Reinhart as author also did a surprisingly good job in writing a story with some real depth to it, not just fluff used for the purpose of ornamenting the big pictures.
This is a good book.
"Always share your love and it will bring you a magical life."
—Brava, Strega Nona! -
This came in the mail for my daughter's 2nd birthday from her Nonno and Nonna, but it arrived on a day when I needed it more. We sat on the kitchen floor, in awe of these "paper engineers," and ever more in love with Tomie dePaola. Few books make me cry real tears, but this one did that day on the kitchen floor. My good friend Carter had lunch with dePaola one day and didn't get me a signed copy. I imagine I will hold this against him for a long time.
-
Very impressive paper engineering for a spectacular pop-up book about a beloved character.
-
I loved Strega Nona when I was growing up, so to experience this pop-up book was great! It had the classic Strega Nona with recipes and illustrations that literally popped out at you. Would love to have this in younger elementary classrooms.
-
Hands down the best pop up book with the most ingenious movements I have ever read.
-
Oh my goodness, this is the most intricate pop-up book I have ever seen! Wow.
-
The important things in life: family, food, friends, celebration--all in a pop up book!
Cathy L
Tomie dePaola AND Robert Sabuda working together on a book?! I couldn't dream up a better kids book duo if I tried!
Jackie -
Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart are paper geniuses. This is a brilliant meshing of the art of Tomie dePaola and the paper engineering of Sabuda & Reinhart. Strega Nona shares her wisdom in a way most will find appealing.
-
Sabuda, Reinhart and DePaola. Do I need to say anything else? This is a beautiful and creatively laid out book. I enjoyed every second of my reading and I was sad when it was done. I want my own copy now. Ages 5+
-
Personally, I'm not a fan of Tomie dePaola's books, but OMG, the popups! Detailed, movable parts...it was fun! I've used Robert Sabuda's
website for work (he has free popup patterns to make), but I had never seen an example of his work before. -
Paper engineering like only Sabuda can deliver with dePaola's beautiful artwork. I would pay $33 for this (which is how much it is:)
-
A nice simple message. But let's not kid ourselves; it's all about the pop-up! And as usual, it is quite stunning.
But is anyone else creeped out by the long & bulbous chins of the Nona fam? -
Even though I've seen lots of pop-up books, this collaboration between Reinhart and Sabuda wowed me.
-
A beautiful Pop-Up, well up to the Sabuda standards. The story itself will appeal more to fans of the Strega Nona books, so, one should probably start with another in the series.
-
Karen & I got to see Tomie dePaola in person as he read and signed this new book. He's wonderful and this book is an amazing pop-up book designed by Robert Sabuda.
-
I've never come across such an elaborate pop-up book with such a beautiful, simple story! Really sweet and fun.
-
Beautiful pop-up book based on Tomie dePaola's original Strega Nona which won a Caldecott Honor Medal.
-
Oh my gosh! Absolutely beautiful!!!
-
Q loves pop-up books and this one was exceptionally good.
-
Visually a feast as you open this pop-up book! Under 4 will love it but needs a little older to not rip it apart! Great for any visual graphic designer/artist to enjoy this children's world.
-
*Loved* the pop-up artwork, absolutely amazing. Could have done without the text.
