Nobody Asked the Pea

K-Gr 3—In this wordy rendition, the classic fairy tale is retold from the viewpoints of 10 different characters. It begins with the pea in the garden bragging about being the biggest and best. Then Queen Mildred chimes in about her efforts to get her son to marry. Prince Harold doesn't want a fancy, prim girl for a bride. He'd rather have someone who will go hunting with him. Princess Tina is on her way over to the castle for her tryout. The housemaids are instructed to stack the mattresses. The queen plucks the pea from the garden, not explaining her plan to anyone. King Henry, the doormen, and the castle mice share their points of view along the way. The next morning, Princess Tina tells the Queen that she "slept like a log." She is sent on her way. A big storm hits. During the storm a girl appears at the door of the castle, wet and bedraggled. She claims she's a princess, but in her present state it's hard to tell. She, of course, doesn't sleep at all on the stack of mattresses. Soon a wedding is planned and there's great celebration throughout the land. The second-to-last scene shows the prince and princess off on a hunting trip. The last scene shows the pea in a display case, atop a purple pillow. The watercolor illustrations are perfect for the story, with detailed costumes, faces, and expressions. A fun, albeit lengthy, retelling.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI