La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya

illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neil 

2018 Pura Belpré Award

Multicultural Book 

La Princesa and the Pea: Elya, Susan Middleton, Martinez-Neal, Juana: 9780399251566: Amazon.com: Books

This retelling of The Princess and the Pea makes it more friendly and relatable for Spanish speaking children while adding its own twist to the classic fairytale. The prince quickly falls in love with a maiden who then must pass a test from his mother. In the end, the maiden passes the test of the mattress and pea, though only because the prince added stones and pitchforks. In the end, the two get married and live happily ever after with their many children. 

This book would be suited for children in Preschool through first grade. Although it wouldn't fit into any curriculum, it could be used with EL students or within a bilingual classroom to connect the two languages and make the classic story more relatable for students. I personally would not use this story unless I taught younger students who the book is more appropriate for. 

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