From Publishers Weekly
Unlike Anne Wilsdorf's blithely subversive Princess (see Children's Books Forecasts, May 17), this retelling of the Princess and the Pea sends an outdated message. Princess Esmerelda runs away from her royal parents after they arrange for her to marry a toothless, 53-year-old king. Meanwhile Prince Hector--a rather nerdy fellow in black-framed specs--hits the road in search of a bride. Armed with the legume-under-the-mattress trick that divines a "true princess," Hector evaluates several unsuccessful candidates (it should go without saying that none tests him with a corn niblet or its equivalent). Luckily, Hector meets Esmerelda, who passes the pea test, and they live happily ever after. This version deserves attention for debut author Campbell's subtle text and for sometime New Yorker cover artist Young's elaborately patterned, fantastical compositions--particularly, a vertiginous spread depicting Esmerelda's floor-to-ceiling bed. While adults may well appreciate the visual sophistication of the art, they may think twice about passing along the lesson that women's duty is to please men, while a man's duty is to choose his woman. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-In this tongue-in-cheek version of a familiar Andersen tale, princess Esmerelda runs away from home to avoid marrying a 53-year-old toothless king. At the same time, a prince visits three castles where prospective princesses not only fail to appeal, but also fail the celebrated pea-under-the-mattress test. Making her way down the road on a dark and stormy night, Esmerelda meets none other than the prince (a Peewee Herman look-alike), who is heading home in his red roadster. They take an instant liking to one another, but the prince's mother insists on performing the classic test, which the princess passes. Young's full-color illustrations, seen frequently on New Yorker covers, have a modish, art-deco quality, giving the story an amusing, sophisticated character. Sight-gags and peas abound, with composition and palette varying to reflect the action. Dorothee Duntze's traditional version (North-South, 1985) is more successful in depicting a timeless, romantic, fairy-tale setting. Tony Johnston's Cowboy and the Black-Eyed Pea (Putnam, 1992) and Jon Scieszka's rendition in Stinky Cheese Man (Viking, 1992) work better as humorous parody. A quirky artistic interpretation with a piquant currency, Campbell's version is not for the classically minded.
Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
