The start of a new school year can be difficult for both parents and kids. For children starting school for the first time, it can be hard to be away from the parents they have spent most of their time with. It can also be a difficult transition for parents, as they deal with being apart from their child and watching them grow up. Today’s book provides a beautiful message to comfort both kids and parents.

Do you have a book from childhood that you remember word for word? The text or the illustrations jumped out at you, or you have a fond memory attached to it. Some of these books stick with us until we are parents ourselves, and then we get to share them with our own children. Today’s post is one of those books that stuck with me.

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A big bowl of steaming pasta and a little old lady with a magic touch. That combination provides comfort and a bit of nostalgia to many. Tomie dePaola recognizes this and created Strega Nona, a little old woman who is well known in her village for solving people’s troubles with her magic touch. She has become a beloved character in a series of books, and she teaches the reader some important lessons.