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Review by
Louella Moreland
It is no surprise when first perusing "Princess Pigtoria and the Pea"
that it is a retelling of the famous fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea."
What is a surprise is the careful alliteration of the text and the
thoroughly modern ending that Pamela Duncan Edwards weaves into a cautionary
story that young readers will easily identify with and eagerly absorb.
The plot, of course, is of a princess from a run-down, rather
un-royal-like castle who journeys to another kingdom in hopes of becoming
the bride to its prince. In Edwards' story, the princess is a pig who was
"very poor." The text tells us, "Her palace had peeling paint and collapsing
plaster."
Prince Proudfoot is a particular pig, so when Pigtoria does not arrive
punctually at the appointed time, he sends her off to bed. Yes, you guessed
it! The prince has put a pea under a huge stack of mattresses to test if she
is a proper princess.
Since Pigtoria arrived past suppertime, she is hungry and orders a pizza.
When Percy the Pizza Pig delivers the pizza, it becomes a party, with castle
servants contributing to the food and fun. When morning arrives, a very
tired Princess Pigtoria joins the prince at breakfast. Since he believes her
sleepless night is the result of the pea he put in her bed, Proudfoot
believes he has found the perfect princess to wed.
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Here is where the "old" and "modern" versions divert onto two
different paths. Even though the ending is a "happily ever after,"
it is not with the wedding of Princess Pigtoria and Prince Proudfoot.
Henry Cole's cartoon-style illustrations, executed in vibrant
colors, are a perfect match to the text, enhancing the expressions
and silliness of these two royal porkers. There are wonderful
details on each page that will keep the young readers returning to
the story time and again.
Although the choice and placement of the text was not as
eye-appealing as it perhaps could have been, it does not distract
enough to prevent this picture book from being a special addition to
any collection. Princess Pigtoria begs to be read out loud to any
young listener. Just be prepared for the request, "Read it again!"
Many fairy tales in their original and retold versions can be
found in the collection at Lincoln Public Library. Stop by soon at
725 Pekin St. to check out your favorites or find a new one to
share.
[Text from file received from
Louella Moreland,
Lincoln Public Library District]
(Ms. Lou's blog:
lincolnpubliclibraryupdates.blogspot.com) |
