The Green Kingdom

by Cornelia Funke, Tammi Hartung, Melissa Castrillón (Illustrator)

From the New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke, known for the INKHEART series, comes this new adventure book.

Enter the story of Caspia, who sets out to solve a series of riddles, and as she does, she meets friends she could have never imagined.

Anywhere can feel like home if you are brave enough to put down new roots…

Caspia’s summer is transformed when she discovers a bundle of letters containing ten botanical riddles in this enchanting adventure.

Twelve-year-old Caspia hates big cities, especially one as busy as New York. So she isn’t thrilled by the news that her parents are taking her to stay in Brooklyn. But everything changes when Caspia discovers a bundle of letters, hidden in an old dresser. Each letter contains a ‘green’ riddle, with clues leading to a different plant.

The newest adventure from the award-winning author of Inkheart and Dragon Rider, Cornelia Funke weaves magic into every sentence of this new and exciting mystery set in the heart of New York City. The Green Kingdom is perfect for fans of the Greenwild series.

Three things you’ll find in this book:
Solving riddles
Mystery
New friendships

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Nature, Audiobook, Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published March 31, 2026

About the author

Cornelia Funke is a multiple award-winning German illustrator and storyteller, who writes fantasy for all ages of readers. Amongst her best known books is the Inkheart trilogy. Many of Cornelia's titles are published all over the world and translated into more than 30 languages. She has two children, two birds and a very old dog and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Miss · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a plant lover, this book spoke to me. Plant facts woven into a sweet story of a girl on vacation with her family made this book a fun read for adults and kids alike.

[sofis · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book would be great for kids!!!!

As as someone who is not a kid, I wasn’t surprised when this landed flat for me. I bought it thinking it was a cute young adult book but it was actually wayyy younger. Although, from the perspective of it being a kids book it was wonderful. The amount of diversity in culture and the representation of LGBTQ was amazing. Plus, the advocating of taking care of the environment and explaining why nature/plants are so important warmed my heart. The relationships were healthy and boundaries were clearly stated, I appreciate that. These are the type of books the next generation should be reading. The characters were warm and fuzzy and the illustrations and descriptions were so beautiful and magical!! I often felt so cozy while reading, and I always thought how wonderful this book would be to a child. On the perspective of a book in general though, it was lacking. But it’s a kids book!!! The writing was not enjoyable and often I wondered if it was edited due to some mistakes. It happens though. The exclamation marks killed me but yet again this was a kids book lol. A good palette cleanser, but nothing insane.

[Jill Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction. Brooklyn, NY. Twelve year old Caspia is upset because she will be spending 11 weeks of her Summer in Brooklyn with her parents. She will miss her friends in Maine. Her family is renting a flat while her dad works on a construction site. Her mom loves to experiment with cooking and hopes to write a cookbook one day. Soon after they arrive at their rental, Caspia discovers 10 letters in a drawer. She opens each and discovers correspondence between two sisters in the late 1950’s. Rosalind, the younger sister, was blind and travelled with their botanist father. She sent letters to her sister Minna describing various plants. Minna would send her answer by making an embroidered piece. These letters kept Caspia busy trying to figure out what the plants were. She made new friends and discovered places in Brooklyn. I enjoyed figuring out the riddles and learning about various plants. The book jacket is lovely and the end papers look like pretty wall paper.

[Elinor Loredan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy read about finding friendships and interests in unexpected places and appreciating the history and uses of plants. Funke's work is usually bloody and dark, but this one was very gentle. The illustrations are perfect for the atmosphere.

Caspia's realization that what seems like an undesirable change can turn out to be a blessing resonates with me. Her mom is so cute with her cooking classes and cookbook.

The only complaint I have is Funke's efforts to be current. I'm not referring to the inclusion of texts and photos taken work cell phones--I enjoyed the inclusion of these elements--I'm referring to the allusions to environmentalism and LGBTQ culture. Funke clearly plopped them in to appeal to a certain audience, but the they add no value to the story whatsoever. Fortunately they are not included enough to ruin the overall experience.

[Union County Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caspia is not happy that she has to spend her whole summer vacation in Brooklyn. What is she going to do when her dad is at his construction project and her mom is at cooking classes? Everything changes when she finds a stack of letters in a dresser. Each letter contains a plant riddle. As Caspia figures out the riddles, she makes new friends along the way and learns that it's ok to plant roots where ever she goes. Fun note: It ends with a riddle that the reader has to figure out on their own.

A great book for readers who like to figure out fun clues, adventures, friendships, and plants.

- Reviewed by Bethany S.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this was a fun puzzle/mystery story involving plants. Readers that love the environment will enjoy this story. I loved that Caspia learned that change can be good and that friends are to be found everywhere.

[Svitlana Chaika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Чудова, легка і ненавʼязлива історія! Закохує у рослини та має чудову основу ідею про людей, що пускають коріння в різних місцях. Дуже актуально для мене зараз, після нещодавнього переїзду. А також, дуже легка англійська! Чудова книга для початківців в цій справі!

[Amber Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s cute. Loved learning about different plants and the various facts about them.

[Sage]

1

[GeeRace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has convinced me to start my own little garden.
Had a joyous time reading, and it is by far the prettiest book I have ever read. Also, the illustrations made it all the more magical.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cornelia Funke, what an adventure you led us on! It was so fun trying to figure out the clues to different plants. This was a wonderful example of family, friends, and growing roots.

[Ruba · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice change to read an illustrated children's chapter book about connecting with people through plants, seeking new adventures and planting roots in each place.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not one of Cornelia Funke's magical books but I still enjoyed it.