Summary:
The Princess and the Pea is about a Prince who has the task of going out into the world to find a princess for himself. He searches for a long time and could not find a princess that was totally his type of princess. So the prince returns home to his parents. The story goes on to talk about how a woman comes knocking at their door and claiming that she was a princess who got lost in a storm after a snake scared her horse. There was a storm outside, so the lightning eliminated their castle and that's how she began to make her way to their castle. The Prince seemed to like the Princess and found many things in common with her but the mother was not convinced that she was a princess. So, the Prince's mother set up forty beds on top of a little pea and said that if the girl was a true princess that she would be able to feel the pea and not be able to sleep. Well the princess tossed and turned all night and could not get any rest. And when she told them that she couldn't sleep, the Prince's mother knew that she was a princess. The prince ended up marrying the princess and they lived happily ever after.

Personal Reaction:
I really enjoyed this story because the princess was very true to herself. Also, I was very glad that the prince was able to finally find a princess and that she came to him instead of him finding her. I loved the ending because he finds a princess and get married (everyone loves a happy ending)

Extension Ideas:
The students can use their imagination and come up with a story of a prince and princess. Also, they can use their imaginations and have the students act out the story in the classroom.

Summary: This book is a variation of The Princess and the Pea fairytale, only in graphic novel form. The story is about a prince that’s looking for a wife, despite all the princesses’ he meets, he still hasn’t found his dream bride, until a worn down, and wet woman shows up at the doorstep claiming to be a princess. The queen makes her take a test to determine whether or not she’s a real princess.
Personal Reaction: I loved this story! I never read the original, but after reading this version, I was excited to read the original as well.
Classroom extension:
1)This version of the book would be perfect for a compare and contrast exercise/assignment between the graphic novel and the original.
2)This book would also be good for struggling readers that may not follow the original book very well.

Summary: This book is about a young prince who is near adulthood. The queen tells him he must find a princess bride, but only a true princess will make is mother happy. The young prince searches the whole kingdom, but returns home alone and sad. One stormy night, a mysterious woman knocks on the castle door, and she claims to be a true princess. The queen doubts her, so she invents a scheme to see if she is a true princess. The queen places a pea under twenty mattresses and featherbeds. The princess id not sleep a wink, and the queen said this proves she was a true princess because only a true princess would feel a pea at the bottom of all those mattresses.
Personal Reaction: I like this book because I only want the best for my children too. The young prince searches for a true princess, but he is the only one who knows the truth. I also like that the book is not formal and is great for children.
Classroom Extensions: 1. In the classroom, the teacher can read the book. Then the students can discuss the book in literature circles. This is good for teambuilding and communication skills. 2. The teacher can give the students a journal prompt for creative writing skills.

This age-old story is retold in a form that may spark some readers that it never would have before. I like that the illustrations and the comic book-like characteristics work well with this story. They seem to update it.
I would use this book in my classroom to encourage reading and show that students can read things other than just chapter books.

The illustration in The Princess and the Pea are comparable to manga. While personally I'm not yet a fan of that style it could attract a big audience. The panels are laid out for anyone regardless of age to follow along with. The reading level on this is 1.8 or Guided Reading Level: L.

I thought it was exciting to see a classic tale told in a graphic novel format. Would be good for children learning to read or anyone interested in trying out a graphic novel. Having the familiar storyline to hold onto when reading a new format/genre is great I think. I expected it to be a bit longer but the short length I suppose makes sense for the reading level it is geared towards.

The book also includes a short biography of Hans Christian Andersen, information about the retelling author and the illustrator, a history of The Princess and the Pea and discussion questions, writing prompts, and a glossary. ( )