The Princess and the Pea

K-Gr 2–The classic story is retold with simplistic double-page illustrations that pop up and out in an interesting blend of old-fashioned settings and almost modern-looking royalty, including one African princess vying for the hand of the prince. A frail-looking blond princess wanders through a dense forest and comes upon the castle. The queen, suspicious of the stranger’s claim to princesshood, places a very small pea under 20 mattresses and 10 feather quilts to ferret out the truth of her heritage. In the morning the girl politely admits that she scarcely slept a wink, thus revealing her royal nature. She and the prince are wed. The people wave Pea flags, and the famous pea is put on display. The book comes with a Choking Hazard warningNot for Children under 3. Far better versions of the story are already in most collections.–Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA