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La Princesa and the Pea
Last updated Monday, May 5, 2025
Author: Susan Middleton Elya
Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
Date of Publication: 2017
ISBN: 0399251561
Grade Level: Kindergarten (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: May 2025
Synopsis:
The Princess and the Pea gets a fresh twist in this retelling with Spanish sprinkled throughout.
El principe knows this girl is the one for him, but, as usual, his mother doesn't agree.
The queen has a secret test in mind to see if this girl is really a princesa, but the prince might just have a sneaky plan, too . . .
| Note to readers: |
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This book tells the story of the Princess and the Pea from a Latin perspective. The author uses rhymes in Spanish to make the story humorous and relatable.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Have you ever had something put under your mattress? How did you sleep?
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Have you ever slept with a bowling ball under your mattress? What do you think that would feel
like?
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Can a princess ask a prince to marry her?
Vocabulary
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Reina. (Approximate pronunciation: Rey-nah) Queen. The mean queen made the princess’s bed uncomfortable so that she couldn’t sleep.
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Colchones-Mattress. (Kohl (as in cold) cho (long o) nes) When this story was written , people slept on mattresses made of straw.
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Anillo-Ring. (Ah nee yo) The prince gave the princess a ring and asked her to be his wife.
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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Do you like what the prince did for the princess?
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Have you ever thought about putting a pea under your brother or sister’s mattress?
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Did you think the queen was mean?
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| Craft ideas: |
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Using crayons and markers, draw multiple mattresses with different designs and then draw the
princess on top .
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Draw a picture of your imaginary castle, inside draw a picture of the room the prince or princess
would sleep in.
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Sunday, May 11th is Mother’s Day; make a greeting card for someone you know.
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| Special activities: |
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Have the rambunctious kids stand on one leg. If they do this well, ask the kids to balance an object
on their head. This relates to La Princessa and the Pea because sleeping on a pea requires balance.
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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