Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Strega Nona, which means "Grandma Witch" is a little old lady with the magic touch. All the townspeople come to see her to cure their problem whether they be a headache or lack of a husband.

Being that Strega Nina is pretty old she posts a sign in the town square asking for someone to help her out around her house. Big Anthony answers the ad and she asks him to keep the house, tend the garden, feed and milk the goat and fetch water for which she will pay three coins and provide a place to sleep and food to eat. She also warns him to never touch her pasta pot. Everything seems to be working out just fine until Big Anthony witnesses the magic of the pasta pot.

Big Anthony overhears Strega Nona singing a song to make the pasta pot bubble up with pasta and then she sings another song to make it stop. She also blows three kisses, but Big Anthony didn't see this for he had already run toward town to tell the townsfolk. Of course, nobody in town believes him so when Strega Nona leaves to call on a friend of hers Big Anthony sings the sings the song to the magic pot and it bubbles to life full of delicious pasta. Big Anthony invites all of the townsfolk and they all feast until they have their fill and then Big Anthony sings the song to make the pasta stop, only he didn't blow three kisses and the pasta just keeps flowing!

The pasta fills Strega Nona's house and cascades down the hills heading for town. The towsnfolk rush to build barracades to protect themselves from the pasta, but luckily Strega Nona arrives back in town just in time. She delivers the solution and punishment for Big Anthony: he must eat all of the pasta!

This is a perfect tale for storytime!

Genre: Folktale/Fairy Tale/Picture Book

dePaola, T. (1975). Strega nona. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

The Frog Princess: A Tlingit Legend fom Alaska by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger

In this tale of the Frog Princess the village headman brings many suitors to court his daughter. She islikes all of them and even goes as far as proclaiming that she would rather marry a frog from the lake instead of marry any of her suitors. That night a mysterious man appears in the young girl's bedroom asking if she meant what she said about sooner marrying a frog than any one of the suitors her father had chosen for her. The girl answers yes and the youngman leads her to the lake where he lift the water up as if it were a quilt on a bed. She is welcomed by the Frog People and marries the man and they raise a family.

Meanwhile, on land, her parents miss her. They even hold a funeral feast, believing she is dead. A passing traveler tells the headman that he saw a beautiful girl sitting on a log surrounded by frogs singing and dancing. The traveler's description of the girl matches that of his daughter and the headman goes to the lake summoning the Chief of the Frog People. The headman threatens war with the Frog People is his daughter is not returned and the Chief, not wanting to enter into war, agrees to return the young girl.

The young girl appears changed. Her eyes blge more like a frog's and her fingers have grown longer. She no longer speaks or eats. She is miserable without her husband and family. She spends her nights walking along the lakeshore. One night she goes missing. The headman searched for her and tried to summon the Chief again, but the frogs seemed to have moved on. The story ends with another passing traveler speaking with a frog who asks him to pass a message on to the headman: Her daughter is well and happy with her husband and children. The travler has no problem understanding the frog(s) because they were all taking in Tlingit.

Older readers (11 and up) will enjoy this retelling and the culture of the tribe it hails from.

Genre: Fairy tale/Folktale

Kimmel, E.A. (2006). The frog princess: A Tlingit legend from Alaska. New York: Holiday House.

Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa by Niki Daly

Pretty Salma is a Little Red Riding Story coming out of Ghana. This version is much different from what American children are used to, but still contains familiar elements that older readers will recognize. Salma lives with her grandma and grandpa and one morning Granny sends Salma to market. As she walks Salma sings herself the special song Granny always sings to her and she meets a strange dog. The dog convinces Salma to give him some of the clothing items she is wearing such as her yellow sandals and her scarf by telling her that these items must be making Salma very hot and offering to wear them for her as if he were doing her a favor.

After Salma hands over these items and her purchases from market the dog asks Salma to teach him her special song, but all he can do is bark. Salma realizes that she would like her things back but the dog refuses and tells her he will bite her in two! Salma runs away and finds her grandfather in town performing stories. She tells him the whole story and then they think of a plan to save Granny.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dog arrives at Granny's house and Granny asks a series of questions leading Granny to decide that despite appearances she is not dealing with her Pretty Salma. The clue that tips her off is that Mr. Dog can't sing Granny and Salma's special song. Granny tries to shoo Mr. Dog away with a broom, but Mr. Dog scares her so much she jumps into her cooking pot. Mr. Dog makes plans to make Granny soup, but then Salama and her grandpa burst through the door in masks and beating drums and scare Mr. Dog so badly he runs back to the wild side of town.

Genre: Fairy tale/Folkore

Daly, N. (2007). Pretty Salma: A little red riding hood story from Africa. New York: Clarion Books.