Review: Princess and the Peanut

Publisher: Wild Indigo
Author: Sue Ganz-Schmitt
Illustrator: Micah Chambers-Goldberg
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Ages: 4+
Review Source: Author

★ ☆★ ☆★ – 5 Stars!

Summary:
Every queen knows that in order to find out if a princess is REAL, one must send the alleged princess to bed on a magnificent pile of mattresses, slip in a pea, and see how she sleeps. But when the royal kitchen is fresh out peas, the queen tries a peanut instead. The princess turns out to be as real as her food allergies. This vibrant and humorous tale inspires, and educates children with allergies, as well as those who live in, and around food sensitive kingdoms. Includes a food allergy guide for adults, and kid-friendly allergy definitions.

My Review:
What a touching book! My daughter, Jade, at the age of 4-years-old had a reaction to tree nuts. We found out in May, 2012 when she went into anaphylaxis within minutes of eating a piece of walnut. We never heard the seriousness of food allergies, sure we have heard of “food allergy”  but I never knew the in and outs of this dangerous disability.
Did you know that there are millions with food allergies, and the number seems to rise daily. No one understands why, and research is still going to figure out how to stop this epidemic.
I absolutely love that Sue got to re-create Princes and the Pea to help bring awareness to food allergies, instead of the pea it is a peanut. When a prince loses hope of finding his perfect princess, a princess appears on his doorstep looking for shelter from the storm.  To test to see if the princess is indeed real, the queen places a peanut between the princess’ tower of mattresses.  But this princess doesn’t have trouble sleeping, instead she awakens to an allergic reaction!
The Princess and the Peanut reflects what children today are dealing with and also supports children, like Jade, who have allergies.  Within the book is a food allergy guide for adults, and kid-friendly allergy definitions.
I absolutely fell in love with the book before I had a chance to read it to my daughter. Yeah, yeah, I know you are not suppose to “fall for the cover” but the illustrations are delightfully phenomenal!

About the Author & Illustrator:
Children’s book author, mother and philanthropist, Sue Ganz-Schmitt, is passionate about helping children, and families globally. She is co-founder of an AIDS orphanage in Haiti, has traveled to China to help medically challenged orphans, and set up a birthing clinic in rural India. Yet, her writing is inspired by local children with diabetes, severe allergies, leukemia. She graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business (Marketing) in 1986, and now lives now lives in a rural mountain community in Los Angeles with her two daughters and husband. She produces children’s musical theater, has sung on Broadway in RENT, and contributes to an L.A. area local paper.

Micah Chambers-Goldberg, known for his unique ability to manifest whimsical imagination and fantastical imagery, is a versatile and accomplished artist in Animation, Illustration, Film, and Fine Art.
Check out the Illustrator

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author Links
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Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.