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Unabridged Digital Audiobook
Runtime: 3 hours, 26 minutes
Read by Emily Eiden
Throughout their adventures, the lovable young siblings in author Sarah Mlynowski’s Whatever After series have befriended one beloved fairy tale princess after another. But in the eleventh installment, Two Peas in a Pod, older sister Abby actually becomes a princess.
The story once again opens with an elementary school crisis. After a disappointing day at school, 10-year-old Abby isn’t interested in going through the magic mirror in their basement for another trip into a fairy tale. But her little brother, Jonah, is determined to cheer her up. And the two of them and their dog, Prince, end up in the story of The Princess and the Pea, where Abby is named princess before she and Jonah decide to help the kingdom of Bog find her replacement.
The lovable characters and mixed-up fairy tales of the Whatever After series make each new installment a noteworthy (and eagerly anticipated) release for my young reader and me. The stories are familiar and fun, and they’re wrapped up in relatable everyday situations—and while they’re definitely written for kids, they’re the kind of books that grown-ups will look forward to picking up at bedtime. And no matter how many fairy tales she messes up, the author still finds a way to make each new adventure entertaining.
This time around, the fairy tale in Two Peas in a Pod isn’t of the ultra-popular Disney-movie variety. But The Princess and the Pea is still a familiar tale—and anyone who’s read the story will find themselves wondering when the real princess from the story might show up and which of the girls will end up being named the new princess of Bog.
Meanwhile, Abby and Jonah find themselves living like royalty as they help to choose the kingdom’s next princess. And, somewhere along the way, Abby gets to learn another important lesson. Here, her disappointment at school and her adventures with the kingdom’s princess candidates lead her to learn a little bit about getting to know the people around her before jumping to conclusions about them. Abby’s always been a bit of a know-it-all; she tends to be a little bossy. But the kingdom’s princess hopefuls show her that everyone has his or her own gifts and talents and dreams—even if she doesn’t see them right away. And, in joining in another adventure through the magic mirror, young readers will be reminded to take the time to look for other people’s strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.
Admittedly, Two Peas in a Pod isn’t one of the stronger, more memorable installments in the Whatever After series. It doesn’t offer as many surprises as some of the others have. But it’s still a fun-filled adventure with another valuable lesson for young fans of fractured fairy tales.
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