The Martin Agency Introduces a Modern Fairy Tale Championing Democracy

Just in time for National Voter Registration Day, The Martin Agency, the creator of Now Upon a Time, announces the release of “Princess & the Pea-tition.” The contemporary reimagining of the classic fairy tale is authored by Kim Nguyen, creative director at The Martin Agency, and illustrated by renowned artist Libby VanderPloeg. The enchanting story delivers a powerful, nonpartisan message about the importance of democracy, the value of questioning unreasonable systems, and the significance of using one’s voice in elections. 

Published by Gloo Books, “Princess & the Pea-tition” is also available as a podcast and an eight-minute animated short film, voiced by Saturday Night Live alum Melissa Villaseñor and animated by Lyly Nguyen of SuperJoy.

In the story, a girl named Princess questions the absurd “Official Real Princess Test” and seeks a fair and democratic way to choose a leader. She rallies the townsfolk with her “Pea-tition” and becomes the first elected leader, transforming the land’s traditions.

Author Kim Nguyen is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who experienced the loss of their democracy, and her passion for democratic values and belief that power should come from the people are deeply ingrained. Her own four-year-old daughter Quynh inspired the illustrations for the main character of the book.

“I wanted to write a funny and kind story for kids about the importance of democracy, elections, and the impact of every person’s voice,” said Kim. “I am so excited to share this message with children, families, educators, and communities everywhere to serve as a timely reminder that elections are so important. Our country can only move forward if we all participate and vote.”

Kim started writing “Princess & the Pea-tition” two years ago. It first launched as a podcast as part of the award-winning Now Upon a Time series, a storytelling initiative by The Martin Agency that reinterprets traditional stories with modern, empowering, and inclusive messages. The recent Now Upon a Time film “Lil’ Ruby” (Riding Hood) recently won an NAACP Image Award for best animated short film.

"From the beginning of Now Upon a Time almost five years ago, the goal was to create a platform that could grow and adapt based on each writer’s style and the moment in time. And the creative brief has always been to write the story you wish you could tell yourself as a child,” said Neel Williams, group creative director at The Martin Agency and Founder of Now Upon a Time. “Kim did such a wonderful job of bringing all those things together. The story comes from her heart and includes a message that is incredibly timely. I think parents and children will enjoy it equally and the inclusive pro-democratic message is something anyone can get behind.”

Now Upon a Time has teamed up with two powerful, female-founded nonpartisan initiatives: When We All Vote is committed to increasing participation in elections by helping to close the race and age gap, and She Should Run is dedicated to drastically increasing the number of women from all walks of life considering elected office. The organisations are collaborating on voter registration events and the promotion of the book.

“Now Upon a Time was created to reimagine classic fairy tales by infusing them with more modern and empowering messages. What could be more relevant than a story about democracy and the idea of creating a fairer and more just world? As part of the creative evolution of Now Upon a Time — from idea to podcasts, books, and short films — I can attest to how Kim’s ‘Princess & the Pea-tition’ will bring joy, spark curiosity and inspire a sense of responsibility to all who read it, regardless of their age,” said Danny Robinson, CEO of The Martin Agency and author of the award-winning Now Upon a Time book “Lil’ Ruby Riding Hood.” 

To order “Princess & the Pea-tition,” please visit the Gloo Books website. For more information about Now Upon a Time, please visit here.