Customer Reviews

The Princess and the Peanut: A Royally Allergic Tale

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4 star:		(3)
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The Princess and the Peanut, by Sue Ganz-Schmitt, is a cracked fairy tale. Remember The Princess and the Pea? Well, in this version, the queen can't find a pea anywhere in the house so she sticks a peanut under all those mattresses. The princess breaks out into hives and can't breathe, the royal doctor stabs her an with an epi pen, and they all live happily ever after.

This is not one of those annoying, pamphletty little books. It's a beautifully illustrated, funny cracked fairy tale that completely captivated my middle child, who was also quite taken with another book Ganz-Schmitt wrote, Even Superheroes Get Diabetes. It's not preachy and it doesn't make allergic kids out to be victims. It's just a good children's book that is also about food allergies. The only caveat is that if your children don't know the story of The Princess and the Pea, they might need you to explain a few things, like WHY the queen stacks up twenty mattresses.

When the prince is learning how to spot a true princess, he's instructed to look for someone kind, loyal, gracious, honest, brave, and fair. Brave is in there, but not pretty. Nowhere is there a mention of fair hair or rosy lips (except when her whole face gets splotchy). The princess is pretty enough and she wears lovely dresses, but she's not impossible-looking. The only place where they discuss her looks is when her tongue swells up. Good for Ganz-Schmitt for realizing that you don't get a pass on sexism just because you are writing about an important topic.

Just received the book... I read it to my 8 year old son and almost 4 year old daughter who both have life threatening food allergies. They loved it! The illustrations are spectacular! The story was fun and entertaining while still keeping the basics of food allergy awareness and how to handle a reaction: epinephrine, getting to a hospital, avoiding the allergen, etc.
As the leader of a food allergy support group, I will definitely recommend this to the families in our group. I would love to see this book made into a short film. Of the food allergy awareness books that are on the market for children, this is the best I have seen yet.
I would highly recommend this for all the princes and princesses out there who also happen to have food allergies as well as for their friends in the castle...

Sue Gantz-Schmitt and illustrator Micah Chambers-Goldberg have magically transformed a timeless classic into a modern-day fairy tale that flawlessly depicts the 'royally allergic' as the very extraordinary people they are. Readers are sure to be enchanted, laughing-out-loud, and dropping a tear from this book's accurate, inspiring story and breathtaking illustrations! A must have for anyone who has, or loves someone with, food allergies. --Michelle Fogg, Founder, Utah Food Allergy Network and mother of one 'Royally Allergic Princess'

A modern take to an old favorite, the story line is reminiscent of an old tale. When a lost, rain-drenched princess shows up at the palace, the queen steps into action, hoping this is the "real" princess for her son. Having completely run out of peas, the queen places a peanut under the princess' many mattresses. Unfortunately, the poor princess is unaware of her peanut-allergy, and the hidden peanut, when she experiences an anaphylactic reaction. The palace doctor is called and administers the royal epinephrine shot. A follow up skin test revealed the princess is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, however not allergic to witches or dragons! The prince decides that the princess is worth much more than his love of peanut butter and the royal palace is free of all things peanut and tree nuts. The princess and prince wed and live happily every after, "in a peanut and tree nut free castle".

What's wonderful about this book is that is takes the child through the experiences of a reaction but in a child-friendly way. Not scary but educational, the book goes through the steps of treating anaphylaxis and even includes colorful and vibrant illustrations of what the princess goes through.

Let's talk about the illustrations. They are BEAUTIFUL! Vibrant and expressive, my daughter loved looking at each page to find silly characters. The last pages of the book is a list information regarding food allergies as well as common terms written in language even your little prince and princess' can understand.

Over all, The Princess and the Peanut is a entertaining book, written to educate children about the dangers of food allergies and how they are treated, but in a not-so-scary and comical way. Additionally, it's a story about acceptance and a great lesson for those without food allergies. I highly recommend this for your royal library!

This is a review that i posted on my site:

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Every parent/caregiver knows that there are difficult topics that need to be discussed with children-whether sooner or later. One topic is allergies-chances are even if your child has no allergies he/she will have a friend(s) with an allergy-maybe even more than one. Some allergies are mild and some can be deadly. How do you discuss this with your child(ren) whether it's his/her allergy or a friend's allergy?
Sue Ganz-Schmitt has written and Micah Chambers-Goldberg has illustrated an amazing book that explains allergies to children in a fun and entertaining way that still allows them to learn and understand about allergies.
Sue Ganz-Schmitt retells the story of The Princess and the Pea with the Pea being a Peanut and the Princess suffering an allergic reaction. Not only does it explain about allergies, but it also helps the Princess understand why she suffers from an allergy.
In addition to the clever way of explaining about allergies-Sue Ganz-Schmitt also includes a list of answesr to commonly asked questions about allergies. There is also a list and definitions of allergy related words.
I definitely recommend this book as a great way to introduce and discuss allergies with children. Besides being a learning tool-you and your child will love the story and also the illustration. I read it to Julia, at her request, 5 times in a row!
Definitely visit the website below that will give you more information regarding the book as well as an easy way to order it for your child's book collection.
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Sue Ganz-Schmitt has a delivered a clever tale that weaves together a classic prince and princess story that addresses modern day health worries, but in a very entertaining and informative way. The illustrations are wonderful for all ages. I highly recommend this book for young children who either have serious food allergies, or are friends or classmates with kids who do. The Princess and the Peanut: A Royally Allergic Tale

Love the book. I think it really helps my daughter to understand her peanut allergy a little more. Plus, it's a really good story. So glad I got it.

5 STARS! A treat for children who are growing up with fairy tales of a Prince and Princesses! This is a thrilling adventure of fighting dragons and romance all tied in nicely by the author's storytelling to educating children about food allergies. Through the magic of illustration, Micah creates a wonderful fantasy world that young children relate to. The author seemlessly integrates into the flow of the story the use of an epinephrine injection, and both a blood test and skin test that have become so common today. The author goes one step further to introduce to the young readers how to avoid peanut allergies and also includes personal hygiene as another preventative measure.

It's a wonderful tale that is a must for all children, even those who do not suffer from food allergies to help them understand. Congratulations to Sue Ganz-Schmitt on this truly enchanting tale.

The Princess and the Peanut is an extremely creative take on the Princess and the Pea story which takes on the theme of food allergies - not a topic you often come across in children's books! As a parent and educator, I appreciated the accessibility of this book - it is direct and honest in it's approach, yet the story is still light and thoroughly enjoyable. I am sure many folks would perceive that the audience this book must serve is that of the food allergy afflicted - well, I disagree! Anyone of any age, allergic or non, can appreciate the unique retelling of this story. Additionally, the illustrations are exquisite. Go ahead, buy away!

Nice adaptation for a peanut allergic child. My son has food allergies and is older now. when he was young there weren't any books like this. I like it so much I'm going to donate it to his former elementary school.