It Started with a P

Young King Liam is a monarch of meltdowns, throwing red-faced tantrums that prompt a weary surrender from his beleaguered royal adviser, Cedric. When Liam dreams that his birthday party will be ruined by something starting with P—but can’t recall exactly what—he goes full-on royal fiat, declaring that “everything that starts with the letter P must go.” With crisp lines, splashes of color, and a sense of pacing reminiscent of sketch comedy, digital cartoons by Joyner (Flocked) chronicle Cedric doing the king’s will, from dumping the party’s pepperoni pizzas into a moat to bestowing Liam’s presents on surprised but happy subjects. But a lot of other things start with P, too, and Liam soon finds himself without his palace, people, princess sister, and pet parrot Polly. The pandemonium finally peters out when Liam realizes that he’s interpreted the dream all wrong, and then it’s happily ever after—at least for now. P words appear in bold throughout debut author Pomales’s breezy text, encouraging readers to revel in the letter’s ubiquity and comic percussiveness all the way to book’s end. Protagonists are portrayed with pale skin; background characters are shown with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Stefanie Molina, Ladderbird Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Apr.)