Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-7. When Strega Amelia comes to Strega Nona's village and sets up her own rival business in lotions, potions, and matchmaking, she uses free sweets and cappuccino to draw customers away from her old friend. Strega Nona's customers desert her, and soon she can no longer afford to pay her helpers. The hapless Big Anthony goes to work for Strega Amelia, who leaves him in charge one day, with results that Strega Nona fans will find deliciously predictable. De Paola's watercolor illustrations seem bolder, brighter, and more comical than in the original story. While children who know the earlier books will be one step ahead, this engaging picture book will please those new to the series as well. A pleasure to read aloud, this features the broad humor that young children relish. ~--Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Despite the seven-year absence of Strega Nona (last seen in Merry Christmas, Strega Nona ), her faithful fans won't be fooled by the pessimistic title of her new adventure: this witch has more than one potion up her sleeve. When Strega Amelia (a witch with a flair for fancy robes and fancy contraptions) pays a visit to her longtime friend, she is so impressed by the crowds queuing up for cures each morning that she promptly sets up a shop of her own. Proffering sweets, cappuccino and the use of exotic machinery, Amelia lures away all of Strega Nona's customers, even hiring Big Anthony to be her assistant. The newly unemployed Strega Nona blesses the partnership, but readers will begin to discern mischief at work: With Big Anthony around, can disaster be far behind? DePaola once again decants the charm of a sleepy Italian village with his Tuscan-toned watercolors and a sprinkling of Italian words and phrases. A palette of warm pinks and purples lends extra cheeriness to the tale. Strega Nona (a witch with as much sense as sorcery skills) ultimately prevails, humorously underscoring the message that the tried-and-true is often best. Ages 3-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
When Strega Amelia moves to town and steals all of Strega Nona's customers, all seems to go well until the fateful day when Strega Amelia leaves Big Anthony in charge. Soon all the townspeople are back for Strega Nona's tried and true remedies. As always, young readers will enjoy dePaola's humorous drawings. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When fashionably dressed Strega Amelia visits, Strega Nona welcomes her, but her hospitality is poorly rewarded. Observing Strega Nona's lively trade in cures, Amelia lures away not only her customers with ``scientific equipment'' and giveaways--but also Big Anthony with new responsibilities, of which he's very proud. This last betrayal, however, is Strega Amelia's undoing: Big Anthony runs the ``husband-and-wife machine'' backward, mistakes the wart cream for the hair restorer, and creates such a muddle that the townspeople turn once again to Strega Nona. Fans of the good witch won't want to miss this predictable but appealingly mellow sequel (the witches part amicably, and Anthony never knows quite how he helped), while dePaola's comical, beautifully composed illustrations are a pleasure. (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
