Background and release
''The Ickabog'' is aimed at children between the ages of seven and nine. It is the first children's book written by J. K. Rowling that is not set in theSetting
''The Ickabog'' is set in the mythical land of Cornucopia, which is ruled by King Fred. The Ickabog is a monster that is said to inhabit the marshes of the North, used to explain the disappearance of sheep and people that wander into the marshes, and used to scare children. The south of Cornucopia is a prosperous area, with cities each specialising in different foods, in contrast to the less-wealthy north, known as the Marshlands.Plot
On the eve of a visit from the king of a neighboring country, Dora Dovetail dies of overwork with King Fred's final button in her hand, trying to finish King Fred's latest costume. Fred, despite feeling embarrassed and guilty, declines to visit her family, leading them to become disillusioned with him, especially Dora's daughter, Daisy. This leads to a fight between Daisy and her friend Bert Beamish, Major Beamish's son when Daisy Dovetail insults Fred. A shepherd from the Marshlands begs Fred to rid the country of the Ickabog, and Fred, wishing to prove himself, agrees and rides North. An accident in the marshes results in Major Beamish getting shot and killed by Flapoon, one of Fred's advisors. Seeking to take control of the kingdom and become richer, Spittleworth, Flapoon's ally, pretends that Beamish was killed by the Ickabog, fooling Fred and the rest of the army. On their return, three soldiers and Herringbone, the Chief Advisor, object to the story. Herringbone is murdered and the three soldiers are imprisoned. A heavy tax is imposed to pay for an "Ickabog Defence Brigade", causing widespread poverty, which Fred is oblivious to, as he is scared into staying within the capital. Spittleworth, now Chief Advisor, has the Dovetails kidnapped, with Dan Dovetail sent to prison, and forced to carve Ickabog feet. Daisy ends up in the brutal Ma Grunter's orphanage, where she befriends Martha, a Marshlander. Years pass, with the tax doubling. Bert and his mother, Bertha, the king's head pastry chef, guess Spittleworth's plot after Bert discovers an Ickabog foot made by the now insane Dan Dovetail. Bertha attempts to reveal the plot to the king but is kidnapped and placed in the dungeons. Bert escapes the city as Major Roach leads soldiers to arrest him. Bert later meets Roderick Roach, who tells him that Spittleworth killed Major Roach and imprisoned his family upon his failure to capture Bert. The two are captured by Basher John, Ma Grunter's henchman, and taken to the orphanage, where Bert reunites with Daisy and meets Martha. Meanwhile, Bertha Beamish transforms the dungeon into a kitchen with the help of the prisoners, while helping Dan regain his sanity. The four children escape the orphanage and hike to the Marshlands, led by Martha. They plan to sway the soldiers of the Ickabog Defence Brigade but realize that the Brigade has gone south for the winter. Succumbing to the cold, they fall unconscious, and the real Ickabog carries them to its cave. They speak to it, and the Ickabog reveals that from it a batch of Ickabogs will be "bornded". As the feelings experienced by the dying parent Ickabog influence its newborn brood, the Ickabog plans to eat the four during the bornding, so that its children will become man-eaters, to take revenge on the humans, who have caused the near-extinction of the Ickabog race. Daisy persuades the Ickabog not to eat them, but to reveal itself to the people and befriend them. The group marches on Jeroboam, with the Ickabog handing out flowers. The citizens rally around the Ickabog, and they march on Chouxville, where Fred is giving a ball. Basher John is alerted to the march and rides to warn Spittleworth, who refuses to believe him and has him arrested. Spittleworth prepares to investigate with Flapoon, but they are confronted by the prisoners, who have armed themselves and escaped the dungeons. They escape, leaving Fred to face the angry mob. As the Ickabog approaches Chouxville, Spittleworth confronts it with the Brigade. The Ickabog's belly splits in the confrontation as the bornding begins, and Flapoon attempts to shoot it. Bert jumps in front of the bullet, and it hits his father's medal, saving him. The first Ickaboggle to be Bornded kills Flapoon, due to being Bornded in fear of his gun. However, the second Ickaboggle is Bornded kind since Daisy comforts the dying Ickabog. As Spittleworth attempts to escape, he is captured by Bert and Roderick. Spittleworth and several others, including Fred, are arrested for their crimes. The second-born Ickabog helps found a city in the Marshlands. To redeem himself, Fred helps the first-born Ickabog become more mellow by taking care of it and dies soon after its Bornding, which spawns happy Ickaboggles. Dan and Bertha marry, as do Roderick and Martha. A new town is formed in the place of the Marshlands. The kingdom lives happily ever after.Characters
*King Fred the fearless: *''Lord Spittleworth '' *Lord Flapoon: an evil major *Major Roach : Flapoons brutal henchman, and replacement as Head of the Royal Guard The Beamishes: *Major Beamish: Head of the Royal Guard *Bertha Beamish: Head pastry chef of the king *Bert Beamish: Their son, and Daisy's best friend The Dovetails: *Dan Dovetail: Head carpenter at the Palace *Amelia : Head seamstress at the Palace *Daisy Dovetail: Their daughter, and Bert's best friend Side Characters: *Lady Eslanda: A virtuous lady of the court, lusted after by Spittleworth *Captain Goodfellow: A captain in the army of Cornucopia, son of cheesemakers; unknown to him, Lady Eslanda is secretly in love with him. *Millicent: Lady Eslanda's maid *Hetty: a maid, after Lady Eslanda gave her money, Hetty married Hopkins, and Hetty Hopkins had twins *Roderick Roach: Captain Roach's son and Bert's best friend after his fight with Daisy *Private Prodd: a private that was supposed to kill Daisy Dovetail *Ma Grunter: A brutal alcoholic who runs an orphanage in the North *Basher John: Ma Grunter's violent deputy *Herringbone: Chief Advisor *Cankerby the footman: Spittleworth's greedy footman who spies and tells on citizens in exchange for money *Martha: A girl from the Marshlands; Daisy's friend at the orphanage who takes care of the other kids *Otto Scrumble: Spittleworth's butler who impersonates Widow Buttons and Professor Fraudysham *The Ickabog: A large creature as tall as two horses, with the power of human speech, and the ability to make fire, the last of its kind *Nobby Buttons: A character made up by SpittleworthAudiobook
Reception
Jake Kerridge, for ''Sales
According to Nielsen BookScan, ''The Ickabog'' had sold 90,023 copies as of April 2021 in the United Kingdom, though the numbers did not include lockdown sales.References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ickabog, The 2020 children's books British fantasy novels British political novels Novels by J. K. Rowling Novels first published in serial form Novels first published online