The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-To-Be

The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-be by Mini Grey
2003    

     In this retelling of the classic fairy tale The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen, Mini Grey tells the story from the point of view of the pea.  This very smart pea knew, from the moment she was born in the Palace Garden, that she would be important.   The day when her and the other peas were picked to be used in the Palace Kitchen, the Queen herself saved her and placed it a little box.  The Queen needed the pea to place it under the mattresses as part of a test to find a real princess to marry the prince.  If the princess slept on the multimatress bed and was able to tell that there was a pea underneath it, she would be able to marry the prince.  All princesses that came where too polite to complain about the uncomfortable sleep arrangements and they were sent packing by the Queen.
     One night, during a storm, a small and wet young girl stood at the door.  The Queen decides to test and see if the girl could be the princess they've been waiting for.  The very smart peal, realizes that the girl is no other but the gardener that raised the pea from a seed.  So the pea climbed all the way up to the pillow and whispered all night into the girls ear that there was a "Large Round Uncomfortable thing in the bed" under her. The girl shared her insight with the Queen and the prince and they lived happily ever after.  The pea tells us that she then "became a Very Important Artifact" that's on display on a museum.
     The point of view switch in The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-be works really well.  Mini Gray, gives a fresh take on the the classic fairy tale and her illustrations add tons of character and personality.  Excellent read aloud to use in the classroom to compare versions and point of view.