Reviews for The Cardboard Kingdom

The Cardboard Kingdom got five starred reviews and was featured in The New York Times!

The Cardboard Kingdom was also nominated for an Eisner award in addition to winning the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Children’s Comics, The Burr Worzalla Youth Book Award, and the Denver Independent Comic Convention Award for Best Work for Young Readers!

You can read CK's reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, or you can check out some excerpts of our favorite reviews below:

  • Starred Review from Kirkus: "A breath of fresh air, this tender and dynamic collection is a must-have for any graphic-novel collection."

  • Women Write About Comics: "Acknowledgment, affirmation, acceptance — all three flow throughout The Cardboard Kingdom."

  • Kidsreads: "This book should be put into each and every child’s hands."

  • Rogues Portal Review: "Not only is The Cardboard Kingdom a delightful read, but it’s an important book for any young person figuring out who they are and how they want to fit into the world."

  • Bleeding Cool: "Something really special for 2018... it is thick, colourful and wonderful."

  • Starred Review from School Library Journal: "A must-have for middle grade collections."

  • Starred Review from Booklist: "This easy-reading story offers—in a fun, engaging package—a meaningful commentary on the importance of childhood games.

  • 10/10 from Comicosity: "If you know of a young reader, grab this for them in June. Grab a second copy for yourself, and keep it handy for when you need to feel better about the world. The Cardboard Kingdom is a special set of stories that highlights the good in the world without ignoring the challenges we all face at some time or another, and I am proud to have read it."

  • Starred Review from Publishers Weekly: "Imagination, these kids prove, can erase what seem like unbridgeable differences."

  • KinderComics review: "...it’s the book’s wise embrace of childhood play that makes The Cardboard Kingdom a brave and interesting graphic novel, one I highly recommend."

  • The New York Times: "There is plenty of excitement, aggression, competition and gender-bending."

  • ComicMix Review: "Highly recommended."

  • MuggleNet Review: "It’s entertaining and heartwarming and is guaranteed to have you itching to see if your friends are up for building a cardboard kingdom of your own.

  • Fuse 8 Review by Betsy Bird: "You want inclusion? You want diversity? You want positive messages so wrapped up in a bubble of colorful high-octane fun that you swallow the whole pill with glee and beg for more? Chad Sell and his cadre of clever writers are here and they might just be the wave of the future we’ve been waiting for."