"The grouchiest character since the Grinch." --School Library Journal, starred review A hilarious, heartwarming picture book from a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning illustrator about a tiny king who grows into a big-hearted monarch after he banishes almost his entire court from the palace. Tiny Cedric, King ME the First does not like being small. AT ALL. So he decides to banish anyone taller than him from his palace. Which is everyone, basically. The only ones left are the babies. And now they're in charge of the Royal Duties! How will Cedric cope--especially now that he must kiss boo-boos and read bedtime stories? Will he become a kinder, gentler, BIGGER king? Filled with colorful illustrations and ensuing hi-jinks, this charming picture book is perfect for children of all ages AND sizes! Editorial Reviews *12/20/2021 Readers' first look at King Cedric is a comic gem: though his curly red hair fills substantial horizontal space, the howling pink-skinned grump is almost swallowed up by the elaborate Regency sofa on which he sits. And it quickly becomes clear that the monarch is gigantically insecure about his "tiny" stature. He banishes anyone taller than him from the palace, then builds a brick wall to avoid seeing "someone big!" But the diminutive king neglects an important detail: his servants have also been banished, and it turns out that his only remaining subjects--all babies--are simply no help at all. When Cedric enlists one of them to be Royal Dresser, she "just kept undressing herself," writes Lloyd-Jones (Look! I Wrote a Book! ), as Watkins (Mabel: A Mermaid Fable) shows a brown-skinned tot gleefully running away in her birthday suit. Forced into a caretaking role, Cedric slowly softens; eventually, he welcomes his subjects back and happily spends the rest of his days playing with his charges, even when they grow taller than he is. The creators don't draw a line under their message of self-love and human connection--that work is capably done by the title's elegantly exaggerated mixed-media illustrations and the sight of a powerful leader squirming under the weight of his own foolishness. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. Illustrator's agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (Feb.) - Publishers Weekly Praise for TINY CEDRIC: "...positively brim[s] with humor." --The Wall Street Journal * "[A] message of self-love and human connection." --Publishers Weekly, starred review * "This original story will have readers cackling through diaper wars, milk and cookies, and the reformation of the grouchiest character since the Grinch." --School Library Journal, starred review "The fairy tale is well constructed and smartly told, with hidden jokes and layers to appreciate." --Booklist "A valuable message about isolation and community, delightfully delivered." --Kirkus Reviews "The overall message of general fairness and mutual respect, delivered through humor and whimsy, remains timeless." --The Horn Book - From the Publisher *01/01/2022 PreS-Gr 1--There are many age groups who will adore this story, adults among them, but for typical first-grade absurdity, Tiny Cedric wins. This is the tale of a tiny, tiny king, who banishes anyone taller than he is from the palace, and that's everyone. Only babies are left behind, and, as Cedric quickly learns, babies are always the boss. He tries to have a meeting, "But the baby presiding over meetings fell asleep in her porridge. The Royal Librarian kept eating the books. The Royal Scribe only knew scribbling. The Royal Dresser just kept undressing herself. And the Royal Taster ate everything. It wasn't satisfactory." The deadpan narration will have children shrieking as Cedric, despite fun house mirrors that make him appear taller than he is, discovers that ruling isn't all it's cracked up to be. With so many details to pore over on hilarious spreads of royal havoc, readers may not immediately notice that the tiny king becomes servant to the babies, and copes by ordering parents back to the building. They arrive, but it's too late. The king has taken to cuddling, and is too busy tending children to notice that they grow up and tower over him. VERDICT This original story will have readers cackling through diaper wars, milk and cookies, and the reformation of the grouchiest character since the Grinch. An essential purchase.--Kimberly Olson Fakih - School Library Journal 2021-08-11 The world's smallest king is obsessed with his short...comings. King Cedric, "ME the First," doesn't like being small. "At all." He needs a ladder to climb up to his loveseat, in which he looks ludicrously diminutive. He loves to sail aloft in his hot air balloon because everyone below him looks so teeny. Special mirrors in the palace make him appear quite tall. Cedric issues a proclamation that no one in the kingdom can be taller than he is. This leads to a mass exodus; Cedric wakes up one morning to find his castle filled with the only people smaller than him...babies! They can't perform any of the Royal Duties; they cry for milk and cookies; and they climb onto everything. Without really noticing it, Cedric does his best to take care of them, exhausting himself in the process. Another proclamation brings all the parents back. As the babies (depicted as racially diverse) grow up, Cedric doesn't notice that they are getting taller than him; he's having too much fun. Lloyd-Jones' understated drollery works hand in hand with Watkins' abundant mischief. Cedric presents White; he has the build of a small brick, and his hair consists of two orange wings, like Larry from the Three Stooges. The castle looks something like an upside-down wedding cake, with several turrets shooting skyward from the top, lopsided layer. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A valuable message about isolation and community, delightfully delivered. (Picture book. 3-8) - Kirkus Reviews