The Legend Of Old Befana An Italian Christmas Story

Because Befana's household chores kept her from finding the Baby King, she searches to this day, leaving gifts for children on the Feast of the Three Kings.

In this holiday follow-up to Tomie dePaola’s Caldecott Honor–winning Strega Nona, our favorite Grandma-Witch is back and bringing her magic to Christmas with a town feast—can she count on Big Anthony as her only helper? It’s Christmas time in Calabria and with Strega Nona’s annual feast around the corner, she has no time for her usual magical tasks. Christmas has a magic of its own, and no one knows magic like Strega Nona does, especially Big Anthony. But with the clock ticking on her preparations, will Big Anthony finally be able to prove that he can be counted on with some magic of his own? With warm illustrations in Tomie’s classic folk-art style, this refreshed addition to the Strega Nona series is a must-have for fans of all ages.

Tony dreams that one day he'll become the most famous baker in northern Italy. His poor daughter Serafina wants to be allowed to marry. Each of their dreams seems far away until Angelo, a rich young nobleman from Milan, appears and devises a way to make everyone's dreams come true.

One day, Cristina encounters a strange old woman near the market in her village who says she lives nearby on a local hill. When Cristina's family later has a picnic on the hill, Cristina wanders off in search of the strange woman. Will curiosity get the best of her? La Befana is based on the traditional Italian folk tale about an old woman who visits children on Epiphany Eve to deliver presents and candy.

A poetic adaptation of the tradition of La Befana, and the Italian Epiphany celebration. La Befana is an old woman who hears of the birth of Christ from several visitors who knock on her door late at night looking for supplies and directions to the new "child king". She sends them away, preferring to be left to her cleaning, but then she sees the star in the heavens and has a change of heart. It starts her on a quest and she begins delivering gifts to the children she passes as she searches for the Christ child.

In this beloved classic picture book, Tomie dePaola retells and illustrates an Italian Christmas folk tale, breathing warmth and humanity into the character of the lonely Old Befana and her endless search for the Christ Child. Every morning and every afternoon, Old Befana sweeps with her broom. “Cranky old lady,” the children say. “She is always sweeping!” Sweep, sweep, sweep. But when a brilliant star glows in the eastern sky one night, and Old Befana encounters the glorious procession of three kings on their way to Bethlehem, her world will never be the same.