Dear Mary Steenburgen

Let the Magic Begin and Life Sparkle

Children’s book, Strega Nona, written & illustrated by Tomie DePaola, publisher Simon & Schuster

Originally, I wanted to start this piece with the salutation,

Dear Mary Steenburgen,

but at some point, I realized that this would be a letter that I would never actually send. It would sit on a drafty, open file in my document explorer, half written...

Still, let me tell you quickly the reason I wanted to reach out, to thank the talented Academy Award winning actress, who has also acted in several of my favorite television shows, and who happens to be married to one of my favorite actors, Ted Danson. But this really has nothing to do, with any of that.

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” — William Shakespeare

What this really has to do with is a simply wonderful narration that I heard Mary Steenburgen do for the children’s book, Strega Nona. It is an enchanting folktale of the Grandmother Witch, written and illustrated by multi-talented author, Tomie DePaola, and published by Simon & Schuster.

Do you believe in magic ?

By the end of this video, I was enthralled, when the narrator reveals the joy of reading aloud to her own grandchildren.

This is a story that is very nostalgic for me. It reminds me of some of the animated storytelling of my bi-lingual grandparents who would read to me in both English and Italian, when I was a child, and that, in itself, is a treasure chest of precious memories that pierce my heart and my soul. And make my life sparkle.

Three Wishes

I hope that you take some time and listen to the narration and read the book for yourself or to your children. The story and the illustrations just might capture your imagination or amusement for a moment or two. Or remind you of the days we were read similar folktales, full of magic and wonder.

Or the amazing feeling of reading stories to a small child, and opening a whole new world of imagination and the beauty and power of language and literacy. A bond, no child or adult forgets.

And perhaps, it was the catalyst that set me on this road of fiction and fantasy writing to begin with. Ciao, for now, and three kisses for luck. Let the magic begin.

Click below, and let the magic begin.

mary steenburgen narrates strega nona - Bing video

Strega Nona

© Connie Song 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Thank you to Blue Insights Publication on Medium writing.