Tomie DePaola

After helping Strega Nona plant her vegetable garden just so, Big Anthony takes some extra seeds and sows another garden willy nilly, then must find a way to deal with the consequences.

In Mexico, the poinsettia is called flor de la Nochebuenao flower of the Holy Night. At Christmastime, the flower blooms and flourishes, the quite exquisite red stars lighting up the countryside. A Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia came to be, through a little girl's unselfish gift to the Christ Child. Tomie dePaola has embraced the legend using his own special feeling for Christmas. His glorious paintings capture not only the brilliant colors...

Little Gopher follows his destiny, as revealed in a Dream-Vision, of becoming an artist for his people and eventually is able to bring the colors of the sunset down to the earth.

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.

After the death of her mother and father, Adelita is badly mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters until she finds her own true love at a grand fiesta.

Big Anthony plans a surprise Christmas party for Strega Nona.

When Strega Nona babysits twins for the day, Bambolona and Big Anthony help, but the children find trouble everywhere they go.

When Andy and Sandy first meet at the playground, they are cautious of one another, but soon find a way to become friends.

Author-illustrator Tomie De Paola describes his experiences at home and in school in 1941 when he was a boy.

"Andy and Sandy are entering the big talent show! Sandy can juggle. Sandy can tumble. Sandy can hula hoop. Andy cannot do any of these things. But when Sandy is the one who gets stage fright, Andy can save the day!"--