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The Ickabog
Last updated Sunday, May 23, 2021
Author: J.K. Rowling
Date of Publication: 2020
ISBN: 1338732870
Grade Level: 4th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: May 2021
Synopsis:
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.
| Note to readers: |
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JK Rowling used to make up bedtime stories for her own kids. She wrote down some of stories and put them away in a box in her attic for 10 years. Then last year, she started thinking how she could help young kids who were stuck at home during the coronavirus lockdown. She took the box out of the attic and started releasing the stories a little at a time. The stories then became the book The Ickabog. She donates the money from the sales of this book to help communities all around the world that have been impacted by the pandemic.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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JK Rowling said she could encourage young people to be creative by doing the thing she does best - tell a story.
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What are some special skills that you could use to help others during hard times?
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Are there any new hobbies or skills that you started learning or doing during the shelter at home?
Vocabulary
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Cornucopia: an abundance, an inexhaustible store, a curbed hollow goat's horn
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Breeches & Doublets: short snug fitting knee pants and close-fitting jacket with ruffles
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Descended: pass or move from a higher place or level to a lower one
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Imitate: to copy or mimic
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Lure: to entice, temp, bait, beguile, seduce, allure
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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The kingdom of Cornucopia was famous for its food - so delicious that people wept with joy as they ate them. What are some foods that you feel this way about?
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Why do you think his friends Lord Spittleworth and Lord Flapoon thought that a queen would spoil all their fun?
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Each person imagines the Ickabog differently. What are some of the ways his appearance and powers are described?
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| Craft ideas: |
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The book publishers held a worldwide competition for young people age 7-12 from all over the world to submit their own drawings for this book. Over 18,000 entries were received and JK Rowling chose 34 of them to illustrate the book. you can see the winning pictures here. https://www.theickabog.com/en-us/competition/
Now it's your turn! Pick your favorite scene in the book and draw it the way YOU imagine.
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#Make a card for Mother's Day - for your mother, grandmother, aunt, someone who takes care of you and looks after you.
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Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/may-2021-fantasy-folklore-fairytales/
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| Special activities: |
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Write your own bedtime fantasy story:
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Readers get 3 bags and cut 15 pieces of paper. Ask your students to call out ideas and write down 5 to put in each bag:
Bag 1: a magical object (for ex. a ring, a sword, airpods)
Bag 2: a place (for ex. a dark cave, a bakery, a forbidden forest)
Bag 3: a character(s) (for ex. a wizard, a dragon trainer,3 brothers)
Pull 1 paper from each bag and use those 3 clues to write your own fairytale
For ex: A dragon who runs a bakery finds a magical pair of airpods that can ________
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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