The Princess and the Pea

I loved the illustrations and conversation that this book prompted between my 7-year old niece and I. She grabbed this book out of the package and asked to read it before I even had the chance to read it myself. As we read, she made comments and asked questions about the different princesses. The second princess, who was dark-skinned and marked with white paint all over her body, really caught her attention. She kept saying that the princess looked “creepy”, and I kept asking her to explain what she meant by “creepy”. First, she pointed to the princess and said “the skin”. I asked “the skin? I thought we said that all brown skin is beautiful”. She agreed and said “yes, I know that”, and tried to explain her thoughts again. This time, she pointed to the skin and said “the paint on the skin”. And I said, “Ah, the body paint”. It lead to us pausing the book and briefly googling “African body art”. She was amazed to find a black woman that resembled the princess and so many other black people wearing body paint. We probably took a good 2 to 3 minutes looking at the pictures (because she kept pointing at different women saying “she looks beautiful” and kept asking to see more). I made sure to explain that the body art, just like the long neck of the first princess, are a mark of beauty in a different culture. And while the message that beauty varies from culture to culture may not have been the main message of the Princess and the Pea, it was a great message I was able to discuss and explore with my niece.

Here is a classic with a great new twist—the setting is Africa. Wonderful art work — a Caldecott Honor Award Winner for illustration. The story is simple, perfect for first or second graders. It's true to the original Hans Christian Andersen version, with 20 mattresses and 20 featherbeds —so for a follow-up art project, you can see who can count to 40! Children can paint papers and then cut strips for the mattresses and featherbeds. Strips of Washi tape can also be used or mixed with painted strips. Fun, fun, fun, combining literature and art.

I love having diverse books on my shelves when the grandkids visit that reflect the multicultural city I live in. It's a beautiful tale adapted with an African touch and the illustrations are eye-catching. One of my favourites to read when they are here. A true treasure.

I really think great picture books are appropriate for all ages. I got this as a Christmas present for our God-daughter, and I loved it as much as she did! Beautiful, colorful, exciting artwork that enlivens this old fairy tale. Love it!!

The story of the princess and the pea has been enhanced by this lovely telling written and illustrated by Rachel Isadora. By setting the tale in Africa, Isadora adds a new cultural dimension to the story and affirms the nobility of all races, in contrast to the lily white princesses that dominate movies, books and toys. But the illustrations are truly engaging and beautiful and stand on their own merit, not just as a non-white version of a classic. Any child's library would be enhanced by the inclusion of this book.

I'm so glad that I'm able to share this story with my daughter! My daughter is mixed, and I just love finding books with wonderful stories that also touch on our African ancestry. A great twist on a classic story and the illustrations are stunning. I highly recommend!

i am torn. as a little girl, my imagination about this story captivated me. all those mattresses? and she could feel ONE pea? i never really got past wanting to actually SEE a bed like that. the actual message to the story escaped me: that of being a "princess" who was so sensitive she could feel the pea. i bought this book to add to the library i have for my young grandsons (2,1 and zero). i think they will love the story and the expanded sense of the world with the other ways to say HELLO in the book. will they think about why a prince was looking for a special princess and what defines a special princess? i don't know. perhaps only as adults do we read more deeply into the story line. but i don't know....i am still thinking about the message. that said, i was happy to see that THIS version did a really nice version of the issue by presenting this princess as one who was sensitive to all issues so as to care about everything. at least that's the way i felt about this version of the book and with that version, then yeah, i am okay with presenting this book to my grandsons. (beautiful illustrations and a gorgeous sense of wonderment is revealed upon each page.)

I have always loved this folk story and have often recited it off memory back in the day when I volunteered at my children's elementary school I've bought the book in hopes to read it and pass it on to my grand children as of now they are 3 boys age 4 and under so I am waiting for them to get a bit older Love the illustration and story as much as ever

Ok

I'm not fond of the pictures, but the story is great and my children never get tired of it! Also this princess is really cute!

Rachel Isadora's reworking of classic European fairy tales are worth purchasing for the artwork alone. Not a great deal is added to the story, other than it being set in Africa, and the writing is little and to the point, suitable for pre-school onwards, but the gorgeous illustrations and beautiful portrayal of African people, colour and vibrance is a pleasure to behold. Great for children of African heritage (and I mean by that the wider African diaspora) and everyone else too. Where so much of childrens culture is dominated by Eurocentric/western images and thought, it's great to have a twist on things and give Afrikan children a chance to see themselves and african culture given focus and perspective at last. I am also happy to see characters portrayed with their hair in locks too, as my child has, and many of rachel Isadora's books do so. Really, a great book for all young children and parents tired of the same old images and stories being trotted out.

Great book for bedtime 🌙

A simple version of the story but beautifully illustrated.