Book written by J.K. Rowling, published 2020.
The kingdom of Cornucopia is appropriately named. Small and bursting with the best food in the world, the people are peaceful, prosperous, and happy . . . for the most part. There are rumors in the northern Marshlands of a terrifying creature, a monster that stands as tall as two horses and has eyes that glow through the fog. No one has actually seen an Ickabog, but that doesn’t mean it can’t bring an entire country to its knees.
This is the first middle-grade book that J.K. Rowling has written since the Harry Potter series, and I thought it was a really nice change. This book reads more like a fable or a classic fairytale. The worldbuilding was kept simple, but so many themes and characters were packed into it. If there’s any worry about keeping numerous characters straight, I would say don’t worry too much. Most of the names alliterate (Daisy Dovetail, Bert Beamish, etc.), which really helped me.
I will say that I had some difficulty getting into this one. There was a lot of time spent establishing Cornucopia as a country and all of the important characters in it. I won’t disagree that all of the information is relevant and important to know moving forward in the story, it just meant the plot didn't get moving until chapter eight. I know that can be a huge discouragement for younger readers, so it seems like a bit of a disadvantage for a book that specifically writes to that audience. However, once I got to that point, the pacing of the rest of the story was much better. It was a quick, easy, fun read, and I recommend it to any reader looking for a new fable.
This book doesn’t have any language, romance, or violent details, but there is a lot of off-screen death.
If you’ve met an Ickabog, read on for a more in-depth review!
"Lies upon lies upon lies. Once you started lying, you had to continue, and then it was like being captain of a leaky ship, always plugging holes in the side to stop yourself sinking."
Something I really love about The Ickabog is Rowling’s writing style. When she’s laying out the events of a scene, she’s not afraid to write bluntly. She just comes right out and says something like “Now, I might as well tell you that these side characters are about to die,” or “Bert and Roach went off on their own, and I’ll tell you where in a moment.” It’s like we’re all sitting in the room with her and she’s orally telling the story, which is another reason why I felt The Ickabog is more of a fable. Rowling takes charge of the story, guiding her readers without resorting to deception and misdirection. She has written to and for her readers, making the story as easy to swallow for as young an audience as possible.
I also loved that J.K. Rowling let her fans illustrate the book. I thought it was a great way to make the story more relatable because it gives kids a clear vision that they aren’t the only ones reading and enjoying the story. It’s a strong connection between readers across the world, and that is something I’ve never seen in a novel before.
Like I said before, this book tackled so many themes! Almost all of them I found extremely relevant, even though I’m not strictly the target audience. I saw a reflection of my world in Cornucopia—a country with so many wonderful people and talent dominated by greed and lies. There was also a strong theme of challenging prejudices and misconceptions by taking the time to listen to each other. We as humans tend to struggle with things we don’t understand, and Rowling lays out the logic that the best way to overcome that struggle is to seek understanding. We do that by asking questions and answering them without judgment or defense. Those are such strong themes, and Rowling has created a safe space for the rising generation to sort through those kinds of problems and answers. (It’s a safe space for older generations to be reminded of these lessons as well.) It’s truly great writing.
Do any of you guys have any artwork for this story? I’d love to see it!
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