The Princess and the Pea

{ May 3, 2010 @ 2:00 pm } · { Book Reflections }

The Princess and the Pea (2007)

Author: Rachel Isadora

Illustrator: Rachel Isadora

ISBN: 9780142413937

Summary:

This story is a twist on the classic story of princess and the pea. Rather than having the standard white, English, princess, the book is set in Africa with an African prince looking for his princess in the different African countries.

Response:

I really enjoy this different princess and the pea story because of the cultural difference. So often books are only about the ‘white’ princess and this one isn’t.  They even include different languages and how to say hello in these. The pictures are also very appealing and colorful. They would be very appealing to children because of the way they are illustrated. They are pieces of painted paper that make a sort of a collage.

Classroom Connection:

This would be a perfect book to read when learning about the African culture because it is relatable to American students, being a familiar story, but it gives a different view of things. It even shows some of the different African people and the differences between each village. It would be fun for the students, after reading this, to learn more African words. Or to even research some of the different cultures found in Africa.