Comparing Characters

Our study of Tomie dePaola has led to some great, in class discussions. Students have held whole group and small group discussions about Tomie's books, characters, and story themes. Guiding questions included:

What is your favorite Tomie dePaola book? Least favorite? Why?
Who is your favorite character? Least favorite? Why?
What character do you most relate to? Give examples.
What character would you most want to be friends with? Why?
What is the theme of Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs? What evidence supports your interpretation?


Our discussions about characters led to a more focused conversation about the characters Big Anthony and Strega Nona. These characters appear in many of Tomie's books including Strega Nona, Big Anthony, Strega Nona Meets Her Match, and Strega Nona's Magic Lessons just to name a few. After much discussion about the characters, students were asked to list five character traits that best represent each of them. The results of their lists have been compiled in the Wordles below (click the Wordle for a larger view). The larger the word, the more often the word was seen on students' lists.

Our first Wordle represents Strega Nona:


Our second Wordle represents Big Anthony:


Take a look at the largest words. These were the most popular traits according to our students surveys. Do you agree with our interpretations? Let us know! We can't wait to hear from you as we continue to explore Tomie dePaola!