Princess and the Pea-Tition

Princess isn’t really a princess--she’s just a girl named Princess. But after passing a strange test by sleeping on a stack of mattresses and a pea, she’s suddenly told she’s a ＂real princess＂ and future ruler of the land. This doesn’t make sense to her. Surely, a leader should be chosen in a better way. Determined to find a more just and democratic system, Princess sets out to change the rules. Princess and the Pea-tition encourages readers to challenge unfair systems, use their voices for good, and become the leaders they want to see in the world. This modern retelling of the classic fairytale is part of the Now Upon A Time project. It empowers children to question the status quo and advocate for fairness and change.

Kim Nguyen is a first-generation Vietnamese-Texan writer. She lives in Austin with her daughter, husband and several foster pugs. She loves telling empowering yet quirky stories for kids. Her award-winning career in advertising and entertainment informs her gently subversive and comedic writing. As a child of Vietnamese refugees, she is dedicated to telling diverse stories that shed light on issues in the world while maintaining a cheerful optimism about the future. Libby VanderPloeg is an artist and illustrator living in southern California. She’s best known for her silly, sweet animated gifs celebrating community and inclusivity, and also for her colorful, detailed maps. She believes that art has the power to spark hope and bring about change. When she’s not drawing, she loves to explore new places and spend time in nature with her husband and charming dog, Tucker.