4 out of 5 Magical Coffee Cups
From goodreads:
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.
My review:
Series of Unfortunate Events vibes with some “Emperors New Clothes” thrown in as people are tricked or teased/deceived/bullied into believing in more and more lies.
Also, a lot more violent than I was expecting. I really didn’t expect any deaths, and there were quite a few in this book. There were some downright evil characters in this book. And I both loved and hated every second. There were many “Oh no’s” and “Oh really’s?” being tossed around my place as I read this book.
I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to get lost in. I liked the variety of characters. It seemed like a good mix for a town. Some people were good and did their best to stand up for what they believed in. Some did their best to keep their heads down, and many others fell between.
I also loved the illustrations from kids all over the world. I would love to use this as a read-aloud and have my students create more drawings of their own.
Literary Coffee 