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The Princess and the Pea
This adaptation of The Princess and the Pea, the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, is illustrated with the whimsical illustrations of Paul Galdone. It tells the tale of a prince who is searching for a real princess to marry, but has no luck searching his kingdom. One stormy evening a princess shows up at his castle and he thinks she may be what he has been searching for, but can she pass the test to prove she is a true princess?
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
About the author
Paul Galdone
277 books81 followersPaul Galdone (1907 - November 7, 1986) was a children's literature author and illustrator. He was born in Budapest and he emigrated to the United States in 1921. He studied art at the Art Student's League and New York School for Industrial Design. He served for the US Army during world War II.
He illustrated nearly all of Eve Titus' books including the Basil of Baker Street series which was translated to the screen in the animated Disney film, The Great Mouse Detective.
Galdone and Titus were nominated for Caldecott Medals for Anatole (1957) and Anatole and the Cat (1958). The titles were later named Caldecott Honor books in 1971.
He died of a heart attack in Nyack, New York. He was posthumously awarded the 1996 Kerlan Award for his contribution to children's literature. His retellings of classic tales like "The Little Red Hen" or "Three Billy Goats Gruff" have become staples.
He illustrated nearly all of Eve Titus' books including the Basil of Baker Street series which was translated to the screen in the animated Disney film, The Great Mouse Detective.
Galdone and Titus were nominated for Caldecott Medals for Anatole (1957) and Anatole and the Cat (1958). The titles were later named Caldecott Honor books in 1971.
He died of a heart attack in Nyack, New York. He was posthumously awarded the 1996 Kerlan Award for his contribution to children's literature. His retellings of classic tales like "The Little Red Hen" or "Three Billy Goats Gruff" have become staples.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 3, 2019
In this story a prince wants to marry a princess, but she had to be a REAL princess. He could not tell if the princesses he met on his adventures were real or not and so he returned home to his kingdom sad and lonely. One night a girl saying she was a princess knocked on the palace door seeking shelter from the terrible storm. She was disheveled and nobody could tell if she was really a princess. The queen had an idea she told nobody about. She placed a single pea on the bed and then had 20 mattresses and 20 feather beds put on top of the pea. When the princess woke up the next morning they were able to tell if she was or was not a real princess. This story tells the tale of figuring out if a princess is really who she says she is. I personally did not think it was a very good story, but if you wanted to use it in storytelling it would be a decent book to use.
July 9, 2017
One of Paul Galdone's best illustrated.
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June 27, 2023Danish Fairytale
April 11, 2024
This rating is for the version that was adapted and illustrated by Paul Galdone.
September 26, 2016
This book is a traditional story. A prince is searching for a true princess to fall in love with, but just when there seems to be no luck, a girl knocks at their door. If she can feel a pea under the layers of matrices beneath her, she will be considered a true princess. Good book for K-2nd grade. This story is cute.
December 9, 2009
Grades 1st - 3rd
This story was interpreted by Paul Galdone, who is the illustrator of this book. Based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, the Prince is looking for a real princess to marry but cannot find her. As luck would have it, a princess get stuck in a storm and finds her way to the castle. Giving her a place to stay, the king and queen offer her a bed. In an effort to find out if she is the true princess of not, the queen places a pea under 40 matresses. The prince marries the princess. The text in this book is large with some words that might seem difficult for first graders. The large text and plentiful illustrations, however, make it appealing to young readers. Young readers might need assistance in comprehending some of the vocabulary. This book was copyrighted in 1978, and the illustrations demonstrate this. They are wiry and cartoonlike, but they do support the text well. The simplicity of the story will appeal to early readers.
Related Content Areas:
Math, Science
Lesson Idea:
Students could learn about weather forecasts and decide what kind of clothes would be appropriate to wear depending upon the weather condition.
This story was interpreted by Paul Galdone, who is the illustrator of this book. Based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, the Prince is looking for a real princess to marry but cannot find her. As luck would have it, a princess get stuck in a storm and finds her way to the castle. Giving her a place to stay, the king and queen offer her a bed. In an effort to find out if she is the true princess of not, the queen places a pea under 40 matresses. The prince marries the princess. The text in this book is large with some words that might seem difficult for first graders. The large text and plentiful illustrations, however, make it appealing to young readers. Young readers might need assistance in comprehending some of the vocabulary. This book was copyrighted in 1978, and the illustrations demonstrate this. They are wiry and cartoonlike, but they do support the text well. The simplicity of the story will appeal to early readers.
Related Content Areas:
Math, Science
Lesson Idea:
Students could learn about weather forecasts and decide what kind of clothes would be appropriate to wear depending upon the weather condition.
January 31, 2014
This was an adaptation of the original tale and I didn't like the illustrations very well.
October 27, 2014
Well, I cannot say that I love or completely appreciate the moral of this story, but it is fun, and I know that my students will like it. So, it works for me!
September 4, 2010
I like Galdone's versions of fairy tales and his illustrations. They are very classic.
March 26, 2016
Story is funny. Illustrations, just okay.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews