A review by ericadeb
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell

4.0

Let me start by saying that I loved this book- the art, the concept, the stories. It was great to read, motivational and made me want to have this kind of childhood BUT at the same time it was unnaturally (dare I say millennially) diverse. This neighborhood has people of many different nationalities who almost all decide to buck gender norms. While I think that is amazing, you know there would be a girl in the neighborhood who wanted to be the pretty princess. I am all for tough girls, but the animal queen was the only one who was girly. I think that truly diverse stories include gender norms AND kids who ignore them both. Because that is real life. This neighborhood is like an idyllic melting pot that you don’t really see in the real world. Now, stepping off my soap box, I otherwise loved it and all the issues it tackled.