The story of the Ickabog shows just how quickly a little lie can turn into a never-ending deception. In Cornucopia, each part of the kingdom is known for having a specialty food that they are the best at making, like cheeses or pastries. Best friends Daisy and Bert have heard the rumors and legend of the Ickabog, a massive monster that eats people, but they always knew they were just stories... or were they? When a shepherd from the Marshlands, a far out and rural part of the kingdom, says the Ickabog ate his dog, ruler King Fred the Fearless doesn't believe him at first. Fred thinks going to investigate the Ickabog would be the perfect opportunity to prove that he could be a good king with no risk after people had begun to call him selfish, vain, and cruel, since the Ickabog was only a myth... right? His advisors Spittleworth and Flapoon concoct a story of lies after an accident on the journey about encountering the real Ickabog with King Fred saving the day, and it spreads through Cornucopia faster than Bert can eat a Hopes-of-Heaven pastry. Taxes and defense brigades are put in place to help protect from the supposed Ickabog, even though Spittleworth knows he made it all up, and the only thing the defense brigade taxes were helping was the flow of money into his pockets. Daisy and Bert are determined to thwart Spittleworth after learning some shocking information, and they are ready to do whatever it takes to restore peace to the kingdom. But Spittleworth is dangerous, threatening to kill and imprison their families if they don't stay quiet. It's a battle of the wits to determine who will come out on top. This book was AMAZING! I love a good fairytale, and this book did not disappoint! J.K. Rowling worked her magic again into this page-turner that will keep your imagination running. The suspense, adventure, plot-twists and complex characters really made this book enjoyable, and I loved every minute of it. I was transported into a magical world with endless possibilities as I read this book! The colorful illustrations made by kids throughout the book were the cherry on top! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone in need of a great fairytale, and I would recommend it for ages 8+.

The story of the Ickabog shows just how quickly a little lie can turn into a never-ending deception. In Cornucopia, each part of the kingdom is known for having a specialty food that they are the best at making, like cheeses or pastries. Best friends Daisy and Bert have heard the rumors and legend of the Ickabog, a massive monster that eats people, but they always knew they were just stories... or were they? When a shepherd from the Marshlands, a far out and rural part of the kingdom, says the Ickabog ate his dog, ruler King Fred the Fearless doesn't believe him at first. Fred thinks going to investigate the Ickabog would be the perfect opportunity to prove that he could be a good king with no risk after people had begun to call him selfish, vain, and cruel, since the Ickabog was only a myth... right? His advisors Spittleworth and Flapoon concoct a story of lies after an accident on the journey about encountering the real Ickabog with King Fred saving the day, and it spreads through Cornucopia faster than Bert can eat a Hopes-of-Heaven pastry. Taxes and defense brigades are put in place to help protect from the supposed Ickabog, even though Spittleworth knows he made it all up, and the only thing the defense brigade taxes were helping was the flow of money into his pockets. Daisy and Bert are determined to thwart Spittleworth after learning some shocking information, and they are ready to do whatever it takes to restore peace to the kingdom. But Spittleworth is dangerous, threatening to kill and imprison their families if they don't stay quiet. It's a battle of the wits to determine who will come out on top. This book was AMAZING! I love a good fairytale, and this book did not disappoint! J.K. Rowling worked her magic again into this page-turner that will keep your imagination running. The suspense, adventure, plot-twists and complex characters really made this book enjoyable, and I loved every minute of it. I was transported into a magical world with endless possibilities as I read this book! The colorful illustrations made by kids throughout the book were the cherry on top! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone in need of a great fairytale, and I would recommend it for ages 8+.

A tale of delectable food, incredible friendship, and golden hearts from one of the world's most beloved storytellers! In truth, I didn't expect to like The Ickabog at all: of course, I was ecstatic when DOGO Books sent the novel to me, but I didn't think it could ever be up to par with the Harry Potter series, of which I had fallen in love with. And when I started reading, my thoughts didn't change much at first—a stereotypical glorious kingdom, materialistic king, et cetera, et cetera—until the plot thickened and I could not stop reading. Everything I considered flighty and unimportant in the beginning served as a runway for all the problems that began snowballing, and once again, J. K. Rowling's plot twists, multiple storylines, character development, and emotional scenes absolutely blew me away. I actually starting tearing up a bit halfway through, so relieved was I to see that familiar syntax and offhand humor of hers, and of course, I couldn't withhold the waterworks when the emotional scenes in the book rolled around. The Ickabog concerns itself with the struggle of orphanhood, the influence of manipulation, and how much power and fear one can really wield. The kingdom of Cornucopia fascinates me and I stayed up until one in the morning to finish reading this wonderful new world J. K. Rowling had created. One thing's for sure, this stunning author is not a one-trick pony, and Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens) meets The Darkdeep (Ally Condie, Brendon Reichs) in this new children's book, perfect for all ages.

This is a really cool book and I would love to read it since it is very interesting!!!

Because I’m one of those people who always want something new to read, I was extremely glad to receive The Ickabog from DOGO. As soon as I got the book in the mail, I started reading. I immediately fell in love with the amazing illustrations, intriguing storyline, and just the idea of an original fairy tale. I’m not a big fan of stories that start with “once upon a time”, but this book lured me in. Calling all readers—get ready to dive into an adventure you will never forget. Get ready to read the Ickabog! Summary: Welcome to Cornucopia. This tiny country is home to some of the world’s most delectable delicacies—from pastries that taste so good they make you cry in ecstasy to the best cream cheese you’ll find anywhere. Cornucopia is ruled by King Fred the Fearless, and everything has always been peaceful under his reign—until Mrs. Dovetail, his seamstress, dies after being overworked one day. Mrs. Dovetail’s daughter Daisy accuses Fred of being vain and cruel, but the king’s determined to prove her wrong. He gets the perfect opportunity to do this when a poor shepherd from the Marshlands—the only poverty-stricken part of Cornucopia—comes to see him, begging for his help. The shepherd speaks of a vicious, invisible monster called the Ickabog which stole his dog—but monsters aren’t real....or are they?

Journey into the land of Cornucopia! Where king Fred the fearless reigns, the tastiest cheeses, wines, meats and pastries are made as well as where the Ickabog lives. Well MIGHT live. Everyone thinks the Ickabog is just a tale to frighten children. But what if it were true? So one day after being called vain and selfish by a child, King Fred decides to show how NOT selfish and NOT vain he is by helping a poor Marshlander rescue his dog from the Ickabog. But really this is just a façade to make himself feel better as everyone knows the Ickabog is fake.....well at least everyone thinks so until the king sees the Ickabog and Major Beamish is supposedly killed by it! But really Major Beamish was shot and Lord Spittleworth decides to reap the benefits of the unfortunate accident by proclaiming he was killed by the Ickabog and the country now needs to pay the Ickabog tax (most of which goes straight into his pocket). Things soon spiral out of control, and Cornucopia is in need of serious help! Read this book to find out if Lord Spittleworth gets away with all his lies and treachery or if he is brought to justice! I had different expectations for this book since I know J.K Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series. But, after realizing that this is supposed to be a whole different type of book I enjoyed it! I really loved how there are children's illustrations used throughout this book, I think it adds a really nice touch. I think this book would be a great book to be read-aloud before bed during thanksgiving time!