The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson

Imagine the difficulty of finding the right princess to marry. Especially if you want a princess that is a little different from the average princess. That is exactly the predicament Prince Henrik finds himself in. He just wants someone who likes the same things he does, namely hockey and camping.

When he asks his brother for advice, Prince Hans tells him that a real princess is very beautiful and very sensitive, just like his wife, Princess Eva. But observing Princess Eva causes Prince Henrik to wonder. Perhaps he just needs a princess who is like him? When Prince Henrik tests his potential princess' mettle, and finds them lacking, he is pleasantly surprised by an old friend, Pippa, who drops by for a visit.

Tony Wilson's unusual variation on the Princess and the Pea fairytale is uniquely illustrated with the quirky but delightful drawings of Sue deGennaro. The illustrations are done in gouache, pencil as well as collage, and help to convey the message in an amusing manner,  that being true to yourself is often the best path in life.

Unbelievably, deGennaro once worked as a circus aerialist and was a member of an all girl flying trapeze group!  And Wilson got the idea for this picture book from an essay he wrote about meeting his wife, Tamsin. Wilson never liked the original Princess and the Pea story where the prince falls in love with a princess after she demonstrates great sensitivity in being able to detect a pea under twenty mattresses.

Book Details:
The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson
Atlanta, Georgia: Peachtree Publishers 2012