Sue degennaro. Tony Wilson

Transcription

1 Children s Photo by Mike Fink Tony Wilson has worked in radio and television since his appearance on the documentary series Race Around the World, during which he visited ten countries in 100 days. He is the author of eight books five for children and three for adults. His first novel, Players, earned him an award as a Best Young Australian Novelist The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas was a CBCA Notable Book for camping and sensitive. Too sensitive. They complain about everything. If these are real princesses, Henrik says, I want to marry the hockey opposite. Determined to find someone less delicate, the frustrated prince comes up with a new twist on a time-honored test. Instead of a stack of mattresses and a single pea, his plan Sue degennaro Printed in Singapore Prince Henrik are beautiful there was a prince called Henrik who wanted very much to fall in love and get married. path to becoming an illustrator has been winding, taking her through psychology, filmmaking, street performing, a decade as a circus aerialist, and membership in an all-girl flying trapeze troupe. Sue now draws full time while sitting at a long bench on a wobbly stool, with her feet firmly on the ground. Her recent picture book projects include One Funky Monkey, The Vegetable Ark, and The Tomorrow Book. to marry Tony Wilson Sue degennaro s All the princesses who want Once upon a time He was an outdoorsy type, and hoped that the princess he married would like and and have a nice smile. $16.95 involves a an camping mattress, old sleeping bag, and a whole packet of frozen peas. But it s not always easy to find the ISBN 13: ISBN 10: $16.95 perfect princess, even when she s right under your nose Tony Wilson Sue degennaro

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4 For my favourite Ps, Pippa and Polly. T. W. For my two ugly stepsisters, Sofie and Simone. S. deg. Published by PEACHTREE PUBLISHERS 1700 Chattahoochee Avenue Atlanta, Georgia Text 2009 by Tony Wilson Illustrations 2009 by Sue degennaro First United States edition published in All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Illustrations created in collage, gouache, and pencil. Typeset in Futura, BlackJack, Linotype Tapeside and Hilde Sharpie. Printed in October 2011 by Tien Wah Press in Singapore First Edition First published in 2009 by Scholastic Australia. Cataloging-in-Publication data is available from The Library of Congress ISBN 13: / ISBN 10: Tony Wilson Sue degennaro Peachtree Publishers Atlanta

5 Once upon a time there was a prince called Henrik who wanted very much to fall in love and get married. He was an outdoorsy type, and hoped that the princess he married would like hockey and camping.

6 There were many girls who wanted to marry a prince. Every time Henrik left the palace, groups of screaming girls would yell, Oh my goodness, it s him! and throw flowers in his general direction. Henrik decided to ask his brother for advice.

7 The most important thing is to make sure she is a real princess, Prince Hans said. Did Princess Eva complain? Prince Henrik asked. You bet she complained a lot, said Prince Hans. A real princess is very beautiful and very sensitive. When I met my wife, Princess Eva, I made a stack of twenty mattresses and twenty eiderdown quilts. Then I put a single pea under the bottom mattress. If a girl complains about feeling the pea through mattresses and eiderdown quilts, she must be a real princess.

8 Prince Henrik decided to watch Princess Eva to see what a real princess was like. He found her at the tennis court, where she was being sensitive about the tennis balls. He followed her to the driveway and saw her being sensitive about her new sports car. This isn t the car I wanted! I wanted one with drink holders. And yellow! 20 These tennis balls are too bouncy!

9 Prince Henrik wondered whether perhaps Princess Eva was a little too sensitive.

10 Prince Henrik decided he didn t want to marry a real princess like Princess Eva. He wanted to marry the exact opposite. She didn t have to be beautiful or sensitive. She just had to like hockey and camping and have a nice smile.

11 Whenever a girl came to stay, he offered to make up the guest room. Instead of twenty mattresses, Henrik found one thin camping mattress. Instead of twenty eiderdown quilts, Henrik found one old sleeping bag. And instead of a single pea, the prince decided to use a whole packet of. And so Prince Henrik came up with a plan.

12 You won t believe this. I found in my bed. I couldn t sleep at all! There was a massive lump under the mattress. What s the deal with the packet of? Many young girls visited, but none passed the test.

13 Then one morning Henrik s old friend Pippa came to stay. They had a great day riding horses, playing hockey, and spying on Princess Eva as she complained about everything in the palace.

14 If she s a real princess, Henrik joked, I want to marry the opposite. Henrik and Pippa laughed. For the first time Prince Henrik noticed what a lovely laugh his friend had.

15 That night he decided to test her with the packet of.

16 The following morning Henrik sat in the corridor outside the guest room. He waited and waited and waited.

17 Finally, Pippa emerged, yawning. I found this under the mattress last night, she said. How did you sleep? asked Henrik. Fantastically well, thank you. Pippa handed him a packet of mushy peas. It was the perfect ice pack. I had a bit of a sore shin from playing hockey.

18 The prince beamed. Pippa beamed back. She had a lovely gap between her two front teeth. Will you marry me? asked Prince Henrik. Even Better, said Henrik. You ll be an UNREAL PRINCESS. Pippa answered. But I m not a real princess,

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