J.K. Rowling’s 2020 children’s novel about a boy named Ickabog is titled The Ickabog.
The Ickabog is a standalone political fairy tale set in the fictional kingdom of Cornucopia. Its plot follows King Fred the Fearless, the orphaned children Bert and Daisy, and the legend of the mysterious Ickabog. The story explores power, propaganda, fear and the consequences of allowing dishonest officials to control a kingdom.
Rowling originally wrote the story for her own children while working on the Harry Potter books. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she published it online in installments between May and July 2020, allowing readers to access it for free. A print edition followed in November 2020.
The novel is separate from both the Harry Potter series and Rowling’s later children’s book The Christmas Pig. Its illustrations were selected through a worldwide children’s illustration competition.