Yours, Befana: A Letter from the Winter Witch

La Befana, a winter witch from Italian folklore, introduces herself via free verse in this translation of Cuoghi’s enigmatic tribute to the magic of 12th night—when “night hangs motionless between/ the final sigh of the holidays and the return to daily life.” With a wry tone, Befana describes the holiday (“this suspended and magical time in which/ we can even talk to animals”), taking care to distinguish herself from other notable figures (“I have nothing to do/ with that clumsy oaf dressed in red/... don’t ask me for gifts./ I’ll use your little letters to wrap my fish”). Washed in candy colors, Beretta’s shape-based artwork mixes natural motifs with contemporary geometric human-made environments, modernizing the story’s mythic dimensions. Back matter provides clarifying context. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)