The Ickabog
Ratings24
Average rating4
Once upon a time there was a tiny kingdom called Cornucopia, as rich in happiness as it was in gold, and famous for its food. From the delicate cream cheeses of Kurdsburg to the Hopes-of-Heaven pastries of Chouxville, each was so delicious that people wept with joy as they ate them.
But even in this happy kingdom, a monster lurks. Legend tells of a fearsome creature living far to the north in the Marshlands... the Ickabog. Some say it breathes fire, spits poison, and roars through the mist as it carries off wayward sheep and children alike. Some say it's just a myth...
And when that myth takes on a life of its own, casting a shadow over the kingdom, two children — best friends Bert and Daisy — embark on a great adventure to untangle the truth and find out where the real monster lies, bringing hope and happiness to Cornucopia once more.
Features full-colour illustrations by the young winners of The Ickabog competition.
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I received this book as a gift and was surprise to discover it is a children's book.
I love the idea of the illustrations by the children and the beginning was quite intriguing but at the end it really feels like a book which should be half its length.
Overall it is a nice and original fairy tale; but as an adult I found it really long and quite difficult to continue in the middle of the reading.
Can't imagine reading this to a kid or recommending it as a gift.
Writing is still good but sincerely not a great read.
A fun old-school folk tale, full of predictable tropes and stock characters which starts out strong but gets a bit laboured after the halfway point. Reminscent of Dickens being paid per installment, this book goes on for far too long because of the circumstances under which it was first presented to the public.
