The Princess and The Pee
For ages 3+
A fairy tale for all children to enjoy, reducing the shame & stigma with bed wetting.
By Effua Gleed, illustrated by Juanita Londoño Gaviria (Frances Lincoln Books, 2024)
It was an absolute privilege and honour to have booked and hosted Children's storyteller, poet and author - Effua Gleed - this week for World Book Day at two different Primary schools in my area for Nursery to Year 2 children. She was nothing short of FABULOUS!! Not only did she present and read her new book, which actually published on World Book Day, but she performed her own poetry, some featuring Ghanaian-origin props (for she was born in Ghana and then came to live in England as a young child). Caring deeply about representing her heritage and teaching children at an age-appropriate level where Ghana is in Africa, about Kente cloth, she joyfully (and purposefully) blends her life and culture with her fun, lively and engaging performances. If you are interested in booking her for your school or event, please do get in touch and I'll connect you to the key contact at the publishers!
And so, to the celebration of Effua's and illustrator Juanita's first picture book together, which I must tell you, is going to be available in the USA, Australia and New Zealand, with more countries added in the foreseeable future I'm sure! Both home and school educators, and parents and carers alike love a Children's picture book that can support those early phases of a child's life where perhaps things aren't going too well, or there's a bit of a developmental hump… e.g. bedwetting, or having the occasional accident after potty training. What's super magical about this picture book is that this issue is cleverly addressed through a form of storytelling called a ‘fractured fairy tale’ ‘or ‘twisted fairy tale’. You'll be familiar perhaps with the old story of ‘The Princess and the Pea’?
I loved the dreamy colours and warm, inviting illustrations (and a sparkly front cover), that accompanied the fairy tale magic of an excellent storyteller (hailing from having written for CBeebies, BBC Radio 7 and Bloomsbury ‘The Snotty Dribbler’, 2022). This story features Effua's own mother, Grandma Grace, and Princess Amma, based on Effua's daughter whose Ghanaian name is Amma. As a mum herself, Effua has plenty of experience with the ups and downs of early years parenting - the phases children go through. When we were chatting about the book and about our own children, we agreed that parents and carers really can end up going down multiple rabbit holes, fussing and stressing out (reading books/blogs, talking to peers, listening to advice from here there and everywhere), trying to solve problems with phases little ones go through, only to end up overdoing it and leaving our children ending up being bundles of worry not joy!
In Princess Amma's castle, the staff and her parents alike are beside themselves trying to find solutions to her bedwetting. They try everything!! Lemons under her pillows, tickling her with feathers on the loo before going to sleep, …reward charts, and more… nothing works. However, her Grandma is able to rise above the pandemonium to give Princess Amma some much needed comfort, giggles and fantastical bedtime stories… and guess what happened the next morning? Joy of joys, a dry night! The reader is NOT by any means told Princess Amma won’t ever have an accident again, but now everyone can celebrate the first of more dry nights to come and learn some lessons from Grandma Grace's more gentle approach.
This is a superb fairy tale story for all children to enjoy, reducing the shame and stigma associated with bed wetting, or even little accidents during the day. I hope to see more picture books, and hopefully some poetry for schools (and at home) from this wonderful Children's creator with a big, fun, and joyful imagination.
Praise
‘A wise grandma comforts a princess who wets the bed in this reassuring tale, which will help children who are in a similar situation.’ ― The Bookseller
March Book of the Month – “A wonderfully appealing and reassuring debut picture book that deals with the problem of bed wetting, but is anything but a dull issues book.” ― LoveReading4Kids
Ad - paperback review copy sent from the publisher
