La Princesa and the Pea

Photo credit Penguin Random House

“The queen has a trick up her sleeve, but el principe just might have one of his own.” La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal is such a fun retelling of the princess and the pea fairy tale. The illustrations are eye catching and the story line is both sweet and humorous with a spanish language tie in to the english story. This story is great for readers of all ages and is sure to become an instant classic within the fairy tale retellings.

The precise language used by the author creates a very rhythmic feel to the picture as though it is poetry in both english and spanish. The words flow together seamlessly, aligning the spanish words with some context within the english language to help the reader create meaning. There is also a glossary for the spanish words within the text to enhance the reader’s understanding. For example:

“The queen ate her treats. The bed was stacked high,

And right when they finished, la nina came by.

“Here is your cama, a place you can sleep.”

“Thanks!” said the girl, “I won’t even count sheep.”

Juana Martinez-Neal has created such detailed illustrations to provide the reader with a full visual experience to match what is going on in the text. These details add an additional layer of fun with the enhanced facial expressions of the background characters, such as the queen’s cat and the prince’s guinea pigs. These characters can be seen as opposites within the story as the guinea pigs are trying to help the prince find a good princess and make sure that the girl he likes passes the test of the queen, and the cat who is just as grumpy as the queen and who is very picky about who the prince marries.

The colors within the illustrations bring so much life to the pages of this story. The colors seem connected to the character’s personality, such as the black angry cat, the dark red dress with all dark colors for the queen and the pastel sweet colors for the lovely girl that the prince wishes to marry. The beautiful different colors of each mattress that the princess is going to sleep on displays just how tall and how many mattresses are stacked on top of the pea. The colors also pop from the neutral background of the light tan rocks or gray castle walls. The colors really draw the reader’s eyes to what is important within the story.

La Princesa and the Pea drew me in with the beautiful illustrations. I remember reading this story as a child and this is such a unique and fun retelling of a classic story! It was beautifully recreated and highly entertaining. I felt like a big theme within this picture book was that you can’t help who you love. While your parents may want what's best for you, your heart may want something else. I think everyone needs to follow their heart and do what’s best for themselves just like the prince did when he sabotaged his mother’s test so that he would be able to marry the girl that he loved. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it for classrooms to add in their fairy tale units! Kids of all ages can enjoy this retelling and it is great for a compare and contrast of fairy tale retellings or a unit on fairy tales from certain parts of the world as this has a South American influence.

Susan Middleton Elya has created a wonderful addition to the fairy tale retellings. This book  is fun, unique in that it adds in spanish words within the text and puts a spin on the traditional tale. Readers will love the precise, rhythmic language that creates a nursery rhyme feel, the beautiful detailed illustrations where sometimes the queen’s cat steals the scene, and the wonderful warm colors that help enhance the setting and reflect the personality of the characters to bring this story to life! La Princesa and the Pea will become a well loved classic fairy tale retelling that all readers can enjoy!

Elya, S. E. (2017). La Princesa and the Pea. New York: C.P. Putnam’s Sons.