The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow and Sorcery, Vol . Three
In Volume 1 of the Cardboard Kingdom (), we’re introduced to neighborhood kids who use play as their gateway to 
deal with growing up. In their kingdom, the kids can be anything they want to be from sorceress and rogues to gargoyles and princes. The play is inclusive and while it may take some time for some of the kids to find their way, everyone is indeed welcome.
In Volume 2, Roar of the Beast, the school year has started and the kids are getting excited for Halloween! Volume 2 is very much a book on the transitioning from small kid to big kid.
What does Volume 3 bring?
It’s the winter break and The Cardboard Kingdom neighborhood is gearing up for snow fights, sculptures, hot chocolate, and forts. One day, they meet three kids from Parkside, the neighborhood across the park, who the kids think come as rivals when what they really want to do is play with the Kingdom. Things go downhill fast as each side thinks they are sabotaging the other. It’s up to Trini, The Investigator, and the Science Squad to solve the crimes!
The theme in Snow and Sorcery is about change and transition. We learn that Trini’s Grandpa J forgets things. A lot. It’s scary when someone you love is changing before you and you can’t stop it. We also have Roy, whose parents are divorcing, moves across the park to Parkside. His life has also changed a great deal. He lives with his mom now in a new apartment that doesn’t quite feel like home and with his mom always working, Roy feels out of place and lonely, As Roy adjusts to his new living situation, he does not forget his best friend Peter and the rest of The Cardboard Kingdom. Roy’s friendliness with the Parkside crew seems a bit suspicious to The Cardboard Kingdom at first but just because you meet new friends, it doesn’t mean you lose your old friends.
Another theme that shows up in a few stories is the role of girls in the 21st C. Connie’s mom is not a fan of Connie when Connie is a robot while Connie’s dad encourages it. How to navigate your parents when they have difference of opinions, is presented here with finesse. Connie’s mom learns that letting Connie play and express herself rather than what society expects from her is far healthier way for Connie to grow up. In Sophie’s vignettes, Sophie’s MeeMaw comes to visit but she’s not a fan of Sophie as The Big Banshee (girls should be quiet and ladylike) or feels that Raven, Sophie’s mom’s girlfriend, is appropriate for Sophie’s mom. Like Connie’s mom, MeeMaw learns that loving relationships come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and she accepts the changes in her daughter’s, and Connie’s, life with aplomb.
What I love about The Cardboard Kingdom series is how each of the vignettes plays out an important aspect of growing up without being too heavy handed. The series is a good primer for moving through a young life and the obstacles they can overcome from new relationships to learning people skills to navigate something tricky such as divorce.
While each vignette has its own writer (whose vignette draws from their childhood), Chad Sell remains the primary artist. His art is so fun and engaging, even when there are only action panels, you do not miss out on a thing. Whoever the colorist is (one is not listed in the about section) does a fabulous job on creating a lighthearted atmosphere even when the conversation or scene is tough.
Even if you’re not a kid, or have kids, The Cardboard Kingdom series teaches something to everyone. Highly recommend.
The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow and Sorcery, Vol. 3
By Chad Sell
Art by Chad Sell
Knopf, 2023
ISBN: 9780593481615Â
NFNT Age Recommendation: Easy Readers (5-9), Middle Grade (7-11)
Creator Representation: Queer, Genderqueer ,
