The Princess and the Pee

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Mar 05 2024 | Archive Date Feb 08 2024

Talking about this book? Use #ThePrincessandthePee #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Help children work through their worries and understand that everyone has accidents sometimes with this sensitive story about a little princess and her wet sheets.  

Once upon a bed, in a royal palace, there lived a little princess with a big imagination called Amma. Every day she was ready to battle knights with the queen, look for mermaids with the king and even hunt for dragons with Grandma Grace.
 
But every bedtime brought with it a whole host of worries. Her blankets felt heavy and the shadows on the walls looked dark and scary.
 
Every morning the palace is filled with fussing about the Princess and the Pee. But what will help her? Lemons under her pillow? Ridiculous! Dry toast before bed? Preposterous! Many suggestions are made but each one makes Princess Amma more worried than the next. While the royal household is running around for a solution, kind Grandma Grace calmly encourages the Princess to relax and use her imagination to help calm her worries.
 
With magical artwork and a gentle rhyming story, this book is designed to reassure little ones that even royal princesses have accidents. It’s the perfect way to softly introduce the subject and show them that you can find a solution together. Encourage them to share their worries and let them know they’ll be heard with this sweet picture book that can be re-read whenever accidents happen.

Help children work through their worries and understand that everyone has accidents sometimes with this sensitive story about a little princess and her wet sheets.  

Once upon a bed, in a royal...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780711277755
PRICE $18.99 (USD)
PAGES 40

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Download (PDF)

Average rating from 55 members


Featured Reviews

This was a delightful book and a unique take on a difficult subject. It's a story about unconditional love and how stressful things, like peeing the bed, can be helped by someone who cares about you. Children should take away that they can get help, and they don't have to hide or be embarrassed.
Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and Net Galley for the digital ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely adored the spot it was fun. It was easy not only to show children that they will be love no matter what I think. It also supports the fact that you’re in the bed all things of that calibre on deadly. It’s not something that will ruin how much someone loves you, and I think it’s something really good to read to your children before they go to bed

Was this review helpful?

Ahhhhh! I love this so much! I know some people who, as children, slept so soundly at night that they could not sense their bladder’s signals. Let me tell you, they knew, they were embarrassed, and nothing worked to stop it—certainly not everyone freaking out about it. The only thing that worked was giving it time. Years, even. Eventually, it stopped on its own. I appreciate how the author doesn’t indicate that the “cure” worked immediately. Sometimes things take a long time…and that’s okay.

I really hope that this picture book brings comfort to kids who are struggling with this issue. I hope they also realize that this happens a lot more than you think! People just don’t talk about it.

It’s okay to have worries and fears, especially at night, and it’s okay to wake up and not be dry. It happens, and I hope anyone who relates to this book has a loving parental figure who will take the time to be reassuring, just like Amma’s grandmother.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group and Frances Lincoln Children’s Book for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This was a super cute book that deals with anxiety over bedwetting. Loved the representation of the relationship between the main character and her grandmother and her support over dealing with her worries. Fun book I wish I had when my daughter was little!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this eCopy to review

The Princess and the Pee is an uplifting book about how the Princess learns it is ok to worry and that everyone should give her space and she will stop wetting the bed when she is ready. Grandma helps her to relax at bedtime by telling stories and saying she is loved no matter what and little bit of wee won't come between them

A great book that deals with the embarrassment of bed wetting in a very sensitive manner

Was this review helpful?

This is such an important book. Sometimes it just takes kids longer to stop wetting the bed, which leads to embarrassment and stress and sadness and blame.
In this book, Princess Anna worries every night until her grandma lets her know that she loves her no matter whether she still wets the bed.
Princess Anna is insanely cute and the story has so much imagination.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Was this review helpful?

A great book about a problem that so many kids and families deal with. I really enjoyed the way Amma was treated with love and respect abundance the quote from her Grandmother about a little pee not getting between you and me was so lovely. The rhymes made it fun to read aloud and the illustrations are colourful and fun to look at.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Just a phenomenal children’s book. Beautiful illustration and writing. The characters were all well developed for a children’s book. Reading this with my daughter who is pretty fully potty trained but still has the occasional accident I can see what a boon this book would have been when I was actively working with her and accidents were more common. It reminds parents that patience and kindness are paramount and that kids just need time to get there. It also teaches kids that accidents happen to everyone and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Can’t recommend this more highly.

Was this review helpful?

A simple story expertly told with love and sensitivity.

Beautifully illustrated with vivid and vibrant pictures that enhance and find room for a visually well spaced text. With clear repetition and enchanting characters the written words often burst into rhyming lines, that make the story more memorable still.

The book gives space for understanding and points to more complex issues in child development; there perhaps are not always quick fixes and every “expert” will have different ideas. Many suggestions may not resolve the issue, since your child is unique, and more basic responses like love and attention may work better than gimmicks, overlaid routines and rewards.

Finally a princess we can all rally round; a child like one of our own and someone all little girls and anxious children can identify with.

A wonderful addition to your library to own or briefly borrow; an enduring story of love and encouragement, one our own children may never grow tired of hearing and reading.

Was this review helpful?

In The Princess and the Pee by Effua Gleed, there was an adorable princess who had a great imagination and was well loved. But at night in the dark, her imagination took a darker turn and she imagined scary things. When she would wake in the morning, she had wet the bed. Everyone in the castle made a big deal out her bed wetting and tried to help her stop, but nothing changed. Then her grandmother told her that this would not come between them. At bedtime she shooed everyone else away and then imagined happy, exciting adventures with the princess and then sang her to sleep. The next morning her bed was dry. The message of the story was that maybe a child might wet the bed, but that it wasn’t the end of the world. If the pressure was gone, it might make all the difference, This story is a great tool for parents of children who are unable to stay dry all night. It sends the message that even when they wet the bed, they are still loved. Trying not to focus on bedwetting could help a child feel less stressed. Being less stressed might help the child to stay dry, but even if it didn’t, the child would still be loved. The prose was enjoyable and the illustrations were charming. It was the type of book that appeals to children. I would have read this story to my own children, who both wet the bed for much longer than normal. I am voluntarily submitting this honest review after reading an advanced complementary copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Stress and anxiety shape young Princess Amma's nights. And when the morning comes, her bed is wet. What can the household staff of the palace do? From the linen lady to the manager of mattresses, nothing, not even lemons, can help Amma. Can her grandma help her soothe away her problems with imaginative stories at bedtime?
Brightly colored and deeply honest of one girl's wetting the bed every night. It's part magical and part realistic, and Amma wants to fix her problem. I enjoyed reading how everyone in the castle wanted to help her, but it only took one person to take those worries away. "The Princess and the Pee" is a delightful picture book read.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC copy of the book.

The story, art, message, characters, everything was so well done!
The wet bed is a very common thing with little and older kids, and sometimes It's really hard to find the right words to tell them that It's okay and nothing unfixable.
I adored Amma, she is such a sweet little girl, full of imagination and energy.

Was this review helpful?

This is a lovely picture book about a princess who worries every night that she'll wet the bed. The people around her come up with silly solutions to help her, but nothing works.

Nervous kids will be reassured by the obviously silly fixes the grownups try. They will also be reassured by the princesses rock solid family, who reassures her that "A little pee will never come between you and me."

What a unique and helpful piece.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto for the ARC. I will purchase for my library.

Was this review helpful?

Not only a funny title, but a true one. Rather than the story of the princess and the pea, and the inability to get a good night's sleep, this story is about a little girl who has no problem sleeping through the night, even when she wets herself. Various methods are tried to resolve the problem, but it is the grandmother who has the wisdom to use love and to accept reality and watch the problem resolve itself. It is a sweet, charming and wise book.

Was this review helpful?

The Princess and the Pee is a heartwarming children's story covering the shame of the aftermath of a bedtime accident with the extra fuss of cleaning, as well as the strategies adults employ to prevent future accidents.
Ultimately, the power of acceptance and empathy prevails. The illustrations in this book are beautiful, characters do not conform to any existing stereotypes that I can easily identify, and the story is fun for any child, whether they struggle with bed wetting or not.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

A sweet book great for littles who might be starting or struggling with going to the bathroom, especially at night. The illustrations are stunning!!!

Was this review helpful?

The representation in this honey!! I loved this to pieces and I want to give this to my children! I love the spin on the princess and the “pee”. I loved the illustrations my gosh they were beautiful! I recommend this beautiful cute little story to all schools for preschool aged children.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a darling story with beautiful artwork. I absolutely loved it and would love to buy it for my niece.

Was this review helpful?

An amazing book to encourage kids to be less afraid during the nights and set a routine for them before bed so that they do not wet their beds.

I find the story really good as it involves everyone in the house to discuss and help the child overcome a problem they are facing.

The illustrations are really amazing!

Thank you, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, for the advance reading copy.

Was this review helpful?

The sweetest story of a little princess who wets the bed because of worries. This book was a joy to read. The illustrations were absolutely beautiful and the sensitivity of Amma's grandmother was such an important piece of Amma's puzzle around bed wetting. I could see this book being so helpful for kids who are stressed out about wetting the bed.

Was this review helpful?

First, I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with this cute and adorable arc. I loved this story so much and I will definitely have some of these copies in my classroom when I become an elementary school teacher. This was absolutely wonderful.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks for this eARC! This is such a sweet story with darling illustrations that are sure to make any child feel better about trying to stay dry at night. It’s a great primer for kids and grown-ups both!

Was this review helpful?

I read this to my five year old son and as we finished he said he loved it. He also wets the bed most nights and he liked that Amma did too. I liked the messaging a lot that as a parent we often make such a big deal out of it and add stress to the child when we need to remind them that we’re there to help and in the end peeing the bed doesn’t define them and won’t come between us.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely story about a little girl working to overcome her bedtime worries with the help of her family. My 4 year old daughter absolutely loved it and we’ve read it twice already. It’s beautifully illustrated and the physical copy would make a wonderful addition to any child’s book case. Thank you for sending me a digital copy!

Note: I wouldn’t recommend this to my students as they are high school age, hence why I’ve ticked ‘no’ to adapting it to the curriculum, however that is the only reason and I feel younger children will thoroughly enjoy it.

Was this review helpful?

This is a great way to show children not to be embarrassed and to support them during a scary and upsetting time for them

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley, Effua Gleed, and Quarto Publishing Group for the advanced ebook! This was a great book for any toddler especially a toddler experiencing bed wetting. Helps them to not feel bad about it. The pictures were beautiful and the story was beautiful!

Was this review helpful?

If this isn’t just the cutest title ever!
A story entirely about how peeing the bed isn’t great; but it doesn’t make people love you less. Plus it reiterates something parents may need to be reminded of, that stress you put on your child to not wet the bed could be setting them back and causing the very problem you want to stop. Approaching issues like this with compassion and kindness are always for the best for the child.
Plus you gotta love the POC representation here!! This one is definitely going in my repertoire of children’s books to purchase for someone struggling with this issue, or about to start potty training.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Effua Gleen for a copy of The Princess and the Pee.

Every night, Princess Amma, is worried to go to bed because in the mornings she wakes up to a wet bed. The Princess and the Pee is a picture book designed to reassure kids that accidents happen and they can find solutions with a parent to control it.

I’ve decided to start reading children’s books because of my daughter, Rowan. My husband and I LOVE to read to her all the time. I know when she gets older, she may have accidents like Princess Amma did. And I want to find books relatable to the topic. I love it the most because there are characters that look just like the beautiful black princess that I’m raising. I also love how the grandma reassured Princess Amma that it’s okay to have an accident. Growing up, if this situation were to happen to me, there would be consequences. I want to teach my daughter differently and to not be scared to talk to me about her accidents.

It always amazes me how much a children’s book can teach a child even though there are few words in them. I’m so excited to read this to my daughter next

Was this review helpful?

Beautiful drawn , I love seeing Black families coming together to support a child. Love how it showed everyone trying to help the princess instead of shouting or making her feel ashamed and the grandma understanding her feelings

Thanks for the arc

Was this review helpful?

"A little pee will never come between you and me."

Holy moly, this book is delightful: charming, funny, and sweet. Amma, a princess with a heart as big and brave as her Afro, still wets the bed and even her very loving parents are unable to offer any helpful guidance. Meanwhile, the palace workers suggest remedies such as tickling her on the pot before she goes to sleep to get out all the pee, sticking lemons under her sheets because lemons are a cure-all, or eating toast to soak up all the pee.

Only her grandmother, the dragon-fighting Grandma Grace, realizes that Amma's bed-wetting stems in part from her anxiety and that patience and time will help more than anything else.

The illustrations are fabulous and I laughed out loud several times. My little ones are still in diapers at night, but I'm ordering this ASAP for the day when that's not the case.

A joy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

In a Nutshell: A lovely story about a little princess who has a bed-wetting problem. Loved the story as well as the illustrations. Great for kids who share the same problem and are looking for moral support and a helpful suggestion.

Story Synopsis:
Princess Amma has a lovely time all day at her palace, playing with her parents the King and the Queen, and her Grandma Grace. However, at night, her imagination works against her, bring a host of worries. The result? A wet bed in the morning. No matter how many suggestions the palace staff and the royal parents try out, nothing helps. Until it is time for Grandma Grace and her wisdom.

What’s not to love about this story! Every single bit is charming, right from the punny title to the theme to the plot to the illustrations.

Amma with her giant afro makes for the most adorable princess. Her imagination is as wild as her hair, and her vulnerability endears herself to us. It was nice to see how willingly she tried all the “remedies” without complaining even once, knowing that it was all for her own good.

I loved the other characters also, whether royalty or staff. My favourite part was that they didn’t stick to the tradition script of royal stories. The king faints, the queen isn’t always dressed to the hilt, the grandmother isn’t depicted as a frail old lady. It’s nice to see the standard tropes kicked out.

Most importantly, the book tackles the problem of bed-wetting in the most practical way. None of the adults in the book shame Amma for the issue. All of them are supportive, and keep trying new techniques that might resolve her problem. Sometimes, they are a little too keen to help, and the repercussions of this unintended stress are also depicted. It shows adults that fussing over the child will be as unproductive as scolding the child for wetting the bed.

While Grandma Grace offers a solution that ultimately works for Amma, I LOVED how the book stressed that the solution isn’t instant and permanent, and how the family’s love for Amma won’t change even if accidents were to happen in future.

The story is mostly written in simple prose, with only small chunks of text on each page. Grandma Grace is the only one who speaks in rhyming lines, with her AABB verses adding to the charm of the book. This offers a great way of letting kids see /hear the difference between ordinary prose and rhyming prose.

The illustrations are adorable! It was awesome to see a Black royal family at the helm of the story. Amma’s hair and her expressions are so beautifully sketched! The remaining characters are also drawn well, with Grandma Grace exuding adorable granny vibes whenever she appears. I especially loved how people of various sizes are depicted in the content. The parents and grandmother aren’t waif-thin as in most picture books but of realistic proportions.

This is not a theme commonly tackled in picture books. So I am thrilled that there’s a great option for little ones struggling with this problem. I hope the book offers them solace and hope. I also appreciate how the book didn’t try to assign a reason to Amma’s problem. Giving it a fixed cause would have restricted the effectiveness of the story. By keeping the label blank, Amma’s story becomes accessible to any child facing the problem without necessarily sharing the same reason.

Much recommended to any child who suffers from the same issue. The vocabulary makes it a great option for ages 3-6.

4.5 stars.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Princess and the Pee”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book! I think the message is really important and I enjoyed seeing the healthy way in which the family helped the princess!

Was this review helpful?

What a perfectly precious story about a child who is struggling with bed wetting and a big imagination! Love the whole thing and it really took something that could be so hard for kids and made it simple!

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book. I thought it was such a sweet story. There are so many kids that have problems with wetting the bed and this book helps to show that it is normal and eventually the problem can go away. The illustrations were great and I loved how the story was told.

Was this review helpful?

Once upon a BED… what a cute beginning! Its turn out the kids was falling in love to read the book. Its suitable for bedtime story. Read aloud with your kids with different intonation of voices based on character. Worth for read!

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: