Hodgkinson, Leigh. Princess and the (Greedy) Pea, The. Leigh Hodgkinson. Illus. Candlewick. 12/2023. [32]pp. Picture Book. Trade $17.99. 978-1-5362-3132-8. GRADES Kindergarten–1. ADDITIONAL.
As the title suggests, this Pea is very greedy. Much like the song “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,” this pea leaves its bowl of peas and begins swallowing everything on the table (and eventually the table as well). Then the story switches gears (and tales) and introduces a princess. The pea is tired and goes to bed. The hungry princess (the pea ate all the food) also goes to bed but does something unexpected in the process. Mixed media illustrations follow the greedy pea’s adventurous gluttony but the jarring mashup of the two classic stories may confuse some readers.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library