Tuesday, August 1, 2017

LA PRINCESA AND THE PEA By Susan Middleton Elya / Book Review


By: Susan Middleton Elya
Illustrated by: Juana Martinez-Neal
Published by: Penguin Random House
To Be Released on: September 5th, 2017
Ages: 4 & up
Pre-Order from: The Publisher | Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars
Thank you to Penguin Random House for a copy of this in exchange for my honest review *PHR partner

The Princess and the Pea gets a fresh twist in this charming bilingual retelling.
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 . . .

Readers will be enchanted by this Latino twist on the classic story, and captivated by the vibrant art inspired by the culture of Peru.


A classic fairytale with a delightful twist. We absolutely loved this charming book. Elya's bilingual verse, and Martinez-Neal's vibrant Peruvian inspired illustrations, make for, what's sure to be, a new favorite children's picture book. 

I'm not sure what we loved more, the illustrations or the verse story telling. Elya's creative story telling effortless capture her readers attention. While Martinez-Neal's illustrations mixed with her rich color scheme, make you enjoy every little detail she adds on each page. The illustration match the story perfectly. I love it when illustrations can tell the story all on their own.

La Princesa and the Pea just may be our favorite telling of this classic children's story. We loved finding out just how the Prince's picky madre would trick the Maiden. To match her mood and feeling, was her cat, which made for a few laughs. Not to be out down, the Prince definitely knows how to out smart his mom. 

This book is definitely a must have! I loved the diverse setting, and the notes the illustrator included in the back of the book about Peru and it's beautiful cultural. Also included in the book is a glossary of bilingual words, however with the rhyming and illustrations, it is extremely easy to understand what is being told in the story. I highly recommend picking up this book.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~