Just So Stories

Hachette Australia

Imprint: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Sep 2025 | 9781510202795 | RRP $22.99

Remember when The Ickabog first came out during the gloom of covid days and all of us HP fans were SO excited! My kiddos were so hyper that I never got my hands on it to read it – though I did admire its beauty as we catalogued and processed it.

But now, I’ve had the joy of the fairy tale myself. I love J. K. Rowling’s backstory on its creation, and the gorgeous gallery of kid illustrations from that first outing. Now, this new edition features the artwork of Ben Mantle and is equally, if not quite as uniquely, enchanting.

Welcome back to the realm of Cornucopia ruled by the dull-witted, fatuous, vain and selfish king, Fred the Fearless [gave himself that nickname, a reflection of his self-conceit – wait a minute, it reminds me of someone else….]. Everything is lovely, especially all the delicious food – the descriptions are mouth-watering! But not all is well in this idyllic kingdom. There are nefarious forces at work, right under the foppish king’s nose – namely, Lords Spittleworth and Flapoon [great names!].

This is a charming, modern fairytale that has all the right stuff: heroes and villains, of course, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. There are dark moments with which to deal including death/grief, cruelty and bullying but these are balanced by the triumph of hope, goodness and the downfall of evil. And whether intentional or not, it can be described as an updated twist on The Emperor’s New Clothes.

Characters are often quirky, and even King Fred, who really is a piece of work (stupidity is no defense IMO) has moments of caricature that relieve the intensity. The entire premise of the mythical monster of Cornucopia, the Ickabog, is an intrigue that carries so much resonance. Does it really exist? Is it really a dangerous creature? Does it breathe fire? Does it carry off and eat kids? Or are these just speculative imaginings that have grown up willy-nilly over time? Is the myth of the Ickabog being manipulated for darker purposes?

Besties, Bert and Daisy (even those names are perfect IMO – old world with sweetness) are unafraid to find out the truth. How many people in today’s world are struggling to uncover and reveal to all the truth of lies, deceit and pure evil? It’s a timely lesson to repeat. Theirs is a quest that takes them to many places and people, all of them well-drawn and memorable.

I don’t consider this exclusively a book for younger readers. While the decoding is easy enough, I believe it requires a more asute reader to fully appreciate the nuances and intention of this narrative. There is a lot to unpack in the layers (aside from any gruesome deaths) such as racism/prejudice, abuse of power [again I’m reminded of someone in particular] – even to an extent how the media can impact on society. In this aspect, in particular, one can draw parallels to HP.

I think for middle/upper primary students, it would make a fabulous serial read right now, as many will be seeing and absorbing much negativity from news and adult conversations, and while none of us want to willingly expose them to graphic or disturbing content, it is imperative that they know evil does exist in the world and society at large. If they don’t know, how can we prepare them to fight it? They need to know that as decent human beings we all have a responsibility to express our opposition to oppression and wrong-doing. Absolutely a 5 👹👹👹👹👹rating for readers from around 10 upwards.