La Princesa and the Pea

Author Susan Middleton Elya and illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal, who also collaborated on La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Niños, join forces here to present a Spanish-infused Latino version of the classic Danish fairy-tale from Hans Christian Andersen, The Princess and the Pea. The rhyming text follows along as a queen plots against any prospective bride in which her son might become interested. When she gives the young woman who has caught the prince's eye a special test, he decides to take a hand in matters...

I am generally quite wary of cultural revisionism, when it comes to the retelling of traditional and classic tales. I often feel that unless there is some specific reason for the change - some theme from the original that show more speaks to something in the new version's culture, for instance - than the changes are problematic, arising either from a lack of cultural respect, or from a mistaken notion that folk and fairy-tales need to be made multicultural, when they already are. Of course, folklore travels between cultures organically, so it's a tricky question. In any case, although I don't really see the need for a Latino version of The Princess and the Pea - I'd much rather see Latino and Latin American folktales, which are grossly under-represented in American children's literature, get some exposure - I actually really enjoyed La Princesa and the Pea. It isn't a bilingual book, as some reviewers claim, but it uses quite a bit of Spanish, with these words glossed at the front of the book, rather than the rear. The story is told in rhyming text, and is entertaining, while the artwork, done by Martinez-Neal in acrylics, colored pencil and graphite, is adorable. This illustrator was awarded a Caldecott Honor for her recent Alma and How She Got Her Name, but I actually think that the artwork here, inspired (according to Martinez-Neal's afterword) by the traditional weaving art of the indigenous people of Peru, is far superior. I can certainly see why it was chosen for a Pura Belpre Award! Recommended to fans of this illustrator, and to anyone looking for revisionist fairy-tale retellings with a Latino twist. show less

The Princess and the Pea gets a fresh twist in this charming retelling with Spanish sprinkled throughout. El príncipe knows this girl is the one for him, but, as usual, his mother doesn’t agree. The queen has a secret test in mind to see if this girl is really a princesa, but the prince might just have a sneaky plan, too . . .

Love love LOVE this book!! a Spanish twist to The Princess and the Pea. I recently found out Susan Middleton has created more of these Spanish versions of fairy tales such as Mother Goose, Red Riding hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears...so I know what I'm giving my friends' kids this year for their birthdays. The Author-Illustrator team that make Susan and Juana is so good. The charm that Elya has to write her bilingual rhymes goes perfectly with the beautiful way Juana Martinez Neal portrays her Peruvian heritage. In this book specifically, I loved seeing the Quechua Textiles in the clothing and the mattresses. I also found it hilarious how the guinea pigs are hiding throughout the book (fried Guinea Pig is a traditional dish show more there) like the mice of Cinderella. show less

This book did a FABULOUS job at blending English and Spanish. It represented Peruvian culture beautifully with a traditional European story. It was a fun take on the Princess and the Pea story. It was written in rhyme with lots of Spanish words and phrases within it, and it had a Spanish-English glossary at the beginning, which was very special.
I would have this in my classroom library, or do this as a read-aloud if we were studying culture and/or fairy tales in a 1st or 2nd grade classroom.

This book seems to be a play off of The Princess and the Pea, but with a Spanish twist to it. Not only does this book portray beautiful poetry, but also contains many Spanish wording with the definitions attached. Once the girl notices the pea, she is deemed right to marry the Spanish prince, and in the end, they have multiple children and seem to live a happy life together.
I believe that this book can be for grades 1st-5th, as it is a play off of the original Princess and the Pea, and the words are very easy to understand and read (however, some English speaking students may need help with the Spanish pronunciation).

I liked this retelling very much, from the art ("The textiles in this book were inspired by the weaving and embroidery of indigenous people of Peru") to the more active role the prince takes to get the princess he wants. There is a glossary at the beginning with English translations for all the Spanish words included in the story, which is told in rhyme. The princess herself still doesn't have much agency, but it's still a fun retelling with some non-European elements.

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Re-read October 2021

This excellent Latin twist of "The Princess and the Pea" was inspired by Peruvian culture. The queen secretly tries to test whether or not the princess (who showed up outside of the queen's castle) is worthy of marrying her son. Little does the queen know that the prince outsmarted his mother to achieve the results needed for him to marry his newfound love. I loved how the Spanish language was incorporated within the text because context clues and quick access to the glossary helped me retain the meaning of the words better.