The Princess and the Peanut Allergy
Kindergarten-Grade 2—Regina can't wait for her birthday party, especially since she plans to have a fabulous castle cake made out of giant brownie bricks. Then her best friend tells her that she can't eat any of it because of her peanut allergy. Regina doesn't understand why Paula can't pick out the peanuts, and the two girls have a big fight, resulting in Regina uninviting her friend. The birthday girl has a change of heart after listening to the "Princess and the Pea" and decides that the cake can be made without peanuts. The story, while helpful for illuminating food allergies, is a bit pedantic, and it seems unlikely that Regina would be unaware of her best friend's allergy. The cartoonlike watercolor illustrations are attractive, but do little to elevate the unimaginative story. The book concludes with a note from a pediatric allergist. This title may be useful for teachers who happen to have students with food allergies and need a resource for other members of the class.—Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.