Parents' Guide to

The Ickabog

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Harry Potter author's fairy tale is darker than expected.

Book J. K. Rowling Fantasy 2020
The Ickabog Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 3 parent reviews

ms.britt
ms.britt Adult
January 7, 2021
age 9+

Interesting Story

I read this book because I am a teacher and I like to read pieces of novels aloud to get students interested in reading the whole thing. First off, this story is very sad. It has orphans and death. People go hungry and it talks a lot about lying. The whole country goes through many trials before they fix the problems. It was uniquely written and very hard to put down. I had read that there are people who are looking at this book as a symbol for the government crisis that happened in 2020-21. I guess I can see that, but more than anything, this was a book with a quest and a set of characters that had a very big problem to solve. It, to me, was just a fairy tale. I agree that little kids might not like it as it is very dark at times, but it was enjoyable as a middle school tale. I do not think I would ever teach this at school, but I would recommend it to be read by students who enjoy action and why a place would have a need to have that action happen. (There is a large story before the action happens.) Overall, I would give it am 8 out of 10. It does give a lesson on why lying can harm others and how lying eventually unravels and you get into trouble.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Rio17
Rio17 Adult
January 4, 2021
age 7+

Cliff hangers in every chapter!

Bought this to read aloud to my 7 & 9 year old sons for Christmas. The chapters are very short and easy to read. The boys are in love and we frequently find ourselves reading 5-7 chapters when we really meant to read 2-3. A fairy tale that I feel like children and adults can enjoy like old fashioned fairy tales- with a moral, hard times handled with bravery and smarts, villains that are all too real. Thoroughly enjoyable!

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE ICKABOG, things start to go wrong for the prosperous kingdom of Cornucopia when King Fred the Fearless decides to ride into the Marshlands in the north to fight a creature known as the Ickabog. At first people laugh, saying the monster is only a myth, but when one of the king's foppish friends shoots the chief of police by accident in the thick fog, his other conniving friend, Lord Spittleworth, covers up his guilt with this ready-made tall tale. Spittleworth even convinces the king that he had a hand in fighting the beast, and begins to perpetuate fear throughout the kingdom. Fear leads to heavy taxes for an army, the disappearances of dissenters, and the end of prosperity in Cornucopia. When two kids figure out the extent of Spittleworth's lies, they try to find a way to expose him and save the kingdom.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (5 ):

This fairy tale, first written to entertain author J. K. Rowling's children, has that wonderful read-aloud quality, but gets much darker than you'd expect from the whimsical setup. Things are light and airy as we get to know Fred the Fearless, the king who's not the least bit brave and loves his finery. His kingdom is idyllic with joy and abundance everywhere and, most importantly, the most delicious baked goods imaginable -- apparently people cry out for joy when they taste a Hopes-of-Heaven pastry. When things go wrong for silly Fred, you'd expect a hasty resolution that includes some mild embarrassment for his highness. Enter Lord Spittleworth and Lord Flapoon, the worst friends and royal advisors imaginable. Some of their lies are still funny -- like the Ickabog monster expert they invent aptly named Professor Fraudysham. But their other lies, and their unquenchable greed, leave the kingdom completely in ruins.

Kids bring the story and the kingdom around, but after the loss of parents and much hardship. Daisy endures years in an orphanage in the care of someone even worse than Annie's Miss Hannigan. When things are at their darkest for Daisy and friends, they find all their fears are unfounded. What should they have feared instead? The lies of the corrupt government, of course. It's a hearty morsel of truth that goes down easier paired with Cornucopia's delicious pastries and the wonderful illustrations by talented kid contest winners sprinkled throughout the book.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how you first came upon The Ickabog. Did you read the online version as it came out? Did you buy the book? Which reading experience do you prefer? Why?

  • Were you surprised that there were so many deaths in this book? Why or why not? Why do you think J. K. Rowling made Lord Spittleworth so horrible and corrupt? Would the story have worked with a less despicable villain?

  • Would you read more about this kingdom? Why or why not?

Book Details

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