CHILDREN’S book of the week

THE ICKABOG

by JK Rowling, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, £20, ebook £9.99 ★★★★ ★

ONE positive thing to come out of the first lockdown was JK Rowling’s new children’s book.

The Harry Potter author serialised The Ickabog, the bedtime story she used to tell her own children, online for free to keep youngsters entertained during the pandemic – and invited them to illustrate it.

The result is a gripping fairy tale, complete with delightful drawings from young fans.

Rowling draws a vivid picture of the happy kingdom of Cornucopia, presided over by King Fred the Fearless.

There, a tale is told of a legendary monster, The Ickabog, said to inhabit the marshes of the North. This myth suddenly takes on a life of its own, resulting in a terrible tragedy and dark days for many in the kingdom.

Can young Bert Beamish, the son of an army major and the King’s chief pastry chef, and his childhood friend Daisy Dovetail, daughter of the King’s top seamstress, get to the truth?

Aimed at children aged 7-12, but be warned, the story does get quite dark, as all the best fairy tales tend to do.

But it is ultimately a tale of good triumphing over evil, and a tribute to the power of hope and friendship.

Surely set to become a classic.