Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author of childrens fairy tales, including The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina and The Ugly Duckling, which have become much-loved classics around the world. Maja Dusikova was born in Slovakia in 1946. She has illustrated over forty books for children, including Santa Claus and the Christmas Surprise and The Princess and the Pea (both Floris Books). She lives with her family in Florence, Italy.
Once upon a time a prince was looking to marry a true princess. He travelled all over the world and met lots of princesses, but it was difficult to know whether they were real or not. Then one stormy night a young woman knocked on the palace door. She claimed to be a princess, but the queen was doubtful. To put her to the test, the queen ordered a single pea be placed underneath a huge pile of mattresses and quilts. Would the young woman be shown to be a real princess after all?
This beloved version of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale is wonderfully brought to life with soft, colourful illustrations by popular illustrator Maja Dusikova.