The Princes And The Pea

By (author) Bently Peter; Illustrated by Powell Claire
Short description/annotation:
A hilarious rhyming retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen classic, THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA, with a modern twist!
Description:

A hilarious rhyming retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen classic, The Princess and the Pea, with a modern twist!

“There’s something I heard in a very old tale – a test you can do that will work without fail.
Under her mattress I’ll slip a small pea. A princess who’s perfect will feel it, you see.”

Prince Fred decides it’s time he got married – to a genuine proper perfect princess. His best friend, Prince Zac, warns him that such a bride might be hard to find . . .

Enter Princess Ardwenna, who turns up at the palace to ask for shelter from the storm. Prince Fred can’t believe she’s a real princess – she’s not fussy or proud AT ALL – so Ardwenna decides to play a trick on Fred, involving one little pea and a whole pile of mattresses!

But Prince Fred might not need a princess after all. Perhaps his own handsome prince has been there all along . . .

This irresistible retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fable defies traditional fairy tale conventions. With a pitch perfect rhyming text by bestselling Peter Bently, and gloriously detailed illustrations by award-winning Claire Powell, it is an unmissable treat.

Review quote:

It''s incredibly clever and funny, with amazing illustrations which are as elaborate as the king''s majestic wardrobe […] they''re absolutely stunning and take the comedy to the next level

Review quote:
[This] retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale has an LGBTQ+ twist.
Biographical note:

Peter Bently is the award-winning author of many children''s books, including The Great Dog Bottom Swap and Cats Ahoy! (winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize). He was shortlisted for BookTrust Storytime Prize for Octopus Shocktopus! in 2021. He lives in London.

Claire Powell is the illustrator of many bestselling picture books, including Octopants and The Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Kes Grey. This is her third book with Bloomsbury, following on from The King''s Birthday Suit and The Royal Leap-Frog. Claire lives in Derbyshire. @misspowellposts

Promotional headline:
A hilarious rhyming retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen classic, THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA, with a modern twist!
Feature:

The irresistible follow-up to the bestselling picture books, The King''s Birthday Suit, and The Royal Leap-Frog

Feature:

Bestselling author Peter Bently - with sales of over 150,000 copies in the UK alone - makes readers laugh again, and question convention with this witty tale of foolhardiness

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Based on a Hans Christian Andersen tale - with a brilliantly feminist twist!
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Bright, exuberant and delightfully detailed illustrations from fabulously talented Claire Powell, illustrator of the bestselling The Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Kes Gray

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Celebrating themes of LGBTQ+ identity with a joyful new twist on the classic tale