I think, truth would be a theme in this short story. The prince can see through all the fake princesses, until the last one comes to him. He knows shes telling the truth about being a princesses because "nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that!" ( )

A classic fairytale but always one of my favorites, there is a prince looking for his princess and true love, after meeting many beautiful girls he has not found the one. On a stormy and rainy night a girl shows up at the door claiming she is a princess and will need a place to stay the night, after the royal staff makes up her bed, the queen sneaks in and places a pea under the many many many mattresses that was stacked by the queens command. The next morning it is asked to the Princess how she slept and to the queens delight the princess slept horrible proving that she is in fact a princess. I love this story because it’s such a unique fairytale, and this version of it plays with a whimsical illustration to reflect the era and culture from which its retold. I recommend this story for ages 6 and up.

The Princess and the Pea, illustrated by Dorothée Duntze.

One of Hans Christian Andersen's briefest tales, The Princess and the Pea was originally published in 1835, in his first collection of fairy-tales, Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. Første Samling. Første Hefte. ("Tales, Told for Children. First Collection. First Booklet"). The story of a prince who wants to marry a "real" princess, and a princess so sensitive that twenty mattresses cannot soften the bruising impact of a small pea, it was described by Andersen as a traditional tale heard in his own youth.

This engaging edition features the beautifully stylized artwork of Dorothée Duntze - whose other fairy-tale projects include Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes, as well as Rapunzel and The Twelve Dancing Princesses from the Brother Grimm - and her artwork gives the modest narrative real substance. From the decorative endpapers - embellished with little peas - to the gorgeously patterned clothing worn by the characters, Duntze creates an enchanting visual landscape. This edition is well worth the time of fairy-tale fans, particularly those who appreciate beautiful illustrations! ( )

this book is a great to teach manners and help with counting.