JK Rowling's first children's book after Harry Potter is a fairy tale of a child-eating monster

JK Rowling is helping children to dream amid lockdown. The author has published the first chapters of a fairy tale about a monster known as Ickabog. The book is available online for free to encourage children to read during coronavirus lockdown.

The story concerns rumours of a fierce child-eating monster with extraordinary powers that lives in the northern tip of an imaginary land known as Cornucopia.

Rowling revealed that she will publish further chapters every weekday until July 10, and added in capitals,"THIS IS NOT A HARRY POTTER SPIN-OFF".

The author got the idea for 'The Ickabog' when she was writing 'Harry Potter' and she intended it to be published after 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'- which was th last of her seven-book Potter series.

But the mostly handwritten manuscript ended up in her attic and stayed there for a decade until a few weeks ago. She has rewritten parts of it in recent weeks.

"The Ickabog is a story about truth and the abuse of power," said Rowling, 54. "The themes are timeless and could apply to any era or any country."

"To forestall one obvious question: the idea came to me well over a decade ago, so it isn’t intended to be read as a response to anything that’s happening in the world right now," she said.

The first chapters of the fairy tale were published on 'The Ickabog' website on Tuesday.

"I’ve decided to publish The Ickabog for free online, so children on lockdown, or even those back at school during these strange, unsettling times, can read it or have it read to them," Rowling said.

She will donate her royalties to projects and organisations helping the groups most impacted by COVID-19.