IT STARTED WITH A P

Small misunderstandings can lead to big kerfuffles!

In a fancy, colorful castle, a young king named Liam awakens from a dream in which his birthday was ruined—by something starting with the letter P! Liam can’t remember exactly what, so he instructs his beleaguered adviser, Cedric, to rid the kingdom of everything that begins with P. This task seems achievable at first, but things soon get out of hand. The pepperoni pizza must go, along with the presents, not to mention pants and people…even Liam’s sister, the princess. Piling everyone into paddle boats and sending them on their way, Liam believes all is well, sitting in his throne, in his…uh-oh—PALACE! Liam, too, must leave, until he comes to a very practical solution all on his own and finds a way to enjoy his birthday just the way he wanted…well, almost. In this slight, somewhat amusing tale, all P words are set in bold. The characters are flat; King Liam doesn’t seem to learn his lesson or evolve. The story is didactic; its sole purpose appears to be teaching children P words. The cartoonish illustrations are dominated by greens, yellows, and reds, bringing to life a kingdom apparently plentiful with P-related vocabulary—piranhas in the moat, the royal goat (named Percival) housed outside the castle. Liam and Cedric are light-skinned; other characters are diverse.

Be picky, skip this one.