You know that feeling you get when you drink a lovely, cup of lavender mint tea with a bit of steamed milk? The warmth spreads through your body, and your mind calms. That’s how it feels to read The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill.

Greta is a young half-goblin girl who is learning the trade of blacksmithing from her artisan mother; however, while her mother makes swords for non-existent warriors Greta’s interest wanders. On the way home from the market with the night’s dinner, Greta encounters a frightened tea dragon cornered by wolves. In an act of compassion, she realizes the wolves are probably not bad only hungry and gives them the meat she bought for her family's dinner. This tone of kindness and compassion is woven throughout the story and is done in such a quiet way that it warms the heart like a nice cup of tea.

Greta’s adventure is just beginning as she meets Hesekiel, the owner of the tea shop and Jasmine. Oh, did I forget to mention that all the dragons are named for the tea leaves that grow from their horns and antlers? Adorbs! She also becomes friends with Erik, Hesekiel’s partner at the tea shop, and in life, as well as shy Minette.

As her friendships grow, Greta discovers her artisanal voice and realizes how she wants to contribute to the world.

The story is surprisingly complex, and the artwork is beautiful. A delightful bonus awaits at the end of the book where a Tea Dragon Handbook can answer all your questions about how to raise your tea dragon.

I didn't particularly expect to like this one. The cover isn't really my style, reminiscent of books like My Father's Dragon. I expected some "magic" about the power of friendship and believing in yourself and hugs. And there is a small element of that. The larger share, though, is about appreciating our history, not casting aside old things and processes in the name of progress. It's a fairly quick read on the surface but could potentially spark a decent discussion in young readers.

Dragons! Tea! And a gorgeous cover, how could I resist? I didn't even pretend to read this for my class, it was purely for me. And it's too old for my kids. :D

This was such a sweet, gentle, and beautiful story. "The Tea Dragon Society" is a gentle story about acceptance, friendship, responsibility, caring, and the importance of keeping the old traditions and crafts alive. Greta is a sweet and kind girl who at first questions why traditions and pastimes that seem outdated should be kept going but over the course of the story she learns why. It's also about knowing when to let go of the past because sometimes holding on is hurtful and holds you back from living your life fully and with love. It has a good message, gently written, about accepting people for who they are, not who they used to be or who you want them to be, and about accepting new ideas, thinking of others, and doing what's right.

The art within this graphic novel is just lovely, absolutely gorgeous. Pastel and medium shades, an old-fashioned art style, and charming details all make for a visual treat. And there's an easy diversity of characters; they're of different races, different species, different sexualities, different cognitive abilities, and different physical abilities. Despite their differences, no one is treated as lesser or inferior. There's a gentle but strong respect for everyone and their gifts. What a great book for a classroom!

And the dragons! Oh, these dragons are just adorable. But don't let that adorable exterior fool you. They can be temperamental and demanding, but also exceedingly loyal and devoted. They remind me a lot of cats, lol. The end of the book has a lovely extract from a handbook about tea dragons.

"The Tea Dragon Society" is an enjoyable book for most ages.

PICK

What a lovely, multilayered story! Katie O'Neill's second all-ages comic follows a young blacksmith's apprentice who discovers the owners of her local tea house care for tiny, sensitive dragons who produce magical tea leaves. As she learns dragon stewardship from them and metalwork from her mother, she embraces the value of patience and of work for beauty's sake. It's utterly charming, and the perfect book to share with inquisitive young readers.

Tea Dragon Society: Not an 80’s toy commercial, just a cute comic

Many wonderful comics start off grassroots with a webcomic or small personal zine. It is hard to keep up with them all, even using the ever less relevant RSS, you could spend eight hours a day busting through updates and micro-releases.

Tea Dragon Society is one of those wonderful small releases that could have been lost in ebb and flow of the internet ocean. Picked up by OniPress, ‘The Tea Dragon Society’ officially moves multi-genre and can live on your bookshelf.

Pre-order for 10/31/17 release!
(Oct 18th for KindleEdition)

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Consider picking up a copy for personal use OR to donate to your local or school library.
The Tea Dragon Society By Katie O'Neill (Hardcover - Oct 31, 2017)$12.32$17.99
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The Tea Dragon Society (Katie O’Neill)
Age: 9 - 12 years / Grade: 4 - 7
72 pages
Oni Press
ISBN-10: 1620104415
ISBN-13: 978-1620104415

This is a short work of fiction. At only 72 pages, I will refrain from going to deeply into detail as the entire story could be spoiled very quickly. In this universe, tea can actually be magic. Normal tea tastes delicious and brings comfort, but those who care for Tea Dragons can make special tea (hah.. Specialty). On the heads and bodies of Tea Dragons, specific varieties of tea leaves and berries grow. Through the love for the creatures and the closeness of one’s bond, the tea grows and can be groomed.

Beverages made from this tea are infused with the memories and feelings of the Dragon caretakers.

In this unique story, a young blacksmith named Greta meets a Tea Dragon lost in the city. Getting to know it’s owner, she makes new friends and helps rebuild a lost social group centered on the love and care of the Dragons. Greta feels self-conscious but through her friendship with an even more awkward faun-friend, she seems to really grow as a character. The comic is split into four seasons of the year with a detailed appendix of Tead Dragon lore and species data in the tail end.

This is just cute!

Aspects of this book drove were disappointing as an adult reader - For example, Greta has a pet who appears to be some form of fire entity. This is called out by her mother as a point of interest, but we never learn more.either there was a point or there wasn't. There is definite room for plot expansion in several similar areas, but as a fun story, these holes do not detract from the experience. Hopefully, we see followup releases.

Read the entire work on the original web-comic page (http://teadragonsociety.com). If you enjoy it, consider picking up an official copy and supporting the author. Use this as a teaser to see if you need it on your shelf or in your local school.

—
Disclosure:
This book was supplied for review purposes by the publisher. I drank some tea once that was terrible. Seriously terrible. I over steeped it in coffee from a robot and forgot about it for a couple hours. That was bad, this was good. While I make mistakes, I don’t drink mistakes. I pour mistakes out and then cry a little because I ruined coffee and tea simultaneously.

Additional Art samples: (on my website)

Such a short, sweet and beautifully illustrated graphic novel! Definitely recommend to anyone who likes things that are heartwarming and adorable - a good read for when you're stressed and need a cup of tea and pastel-colored dragons who make tea leaves.

A charming, quiet fantasy about a young girl, Greta, who is town between apprenticing with her blacksmith mother, or learning the fine art of raising tea dragons, whose leaves can be harvested to make tea. There is not a lot going on in this slim colume, and that's perfectly fine. This is a refreshingly original and kind story, and the illustrations are simplistic, yet beautifully whimsical. Katie O'Neill has been publishing this story online at teadragonsociety.com, and I'm delighted that it is finally available in print. I'll definitely be picking up later volumes.

If you loved Princess Princess Ever After as much as I did, you are in for a treat with Katie O'Neill's newest graphic novel, The Tea Dragon Society. Greta is a blacksmith's apprentice who wonders whether her mother's craft is even relevant anymore. She learns about another art form when she rescues a young tea dragon in a marketplace: the care of tea dragons; they're dragons, who grow tea leaves out of their horns and antlers. The cast is beautifully illustrated and diverse; we've got a plethora of relationships depicted, and a storyline every fairy tale and fantasy reader will love. The backgrounds, the characters, every single piece of this graphic novel is just incredible artwork. Buy two copies for your shelves, and a copy or two for readers you love. Do. Not. Miss.

The Tea Dragon Society
Hardcover, 72 pages
Expected publication: October 31st 2017 by Oni Press
HOW CUTE ARE THESE TEA DRAGONS?!? I absolutely adore these cute little things and the fact that they are in a fantastic story is just amazing!

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This story was originally released as a webcomic, which can be found by following this link. You should definitely go check it out. I’ll wait. No, but seriously go check it out. I don’t mind if you get lost and forget to come back here! I know I’ve gotten lost in the world and art of Katie O’Neill’s fabulous work 🙂

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Hey, glad you came back! Now that you have explored a bit (or perhaps even all) of The Tea Dragon Society, I want to tell you why I fell so deeply in love with this magical slice of awesome. Obviously, the art and concept really spoke to me, but once you dig deeper, you find that there are several layers to explore. I don’t want to spoil anything if you haven’t discovered them, so let’s just say that the diversity and inclusion were presented as natural and constant. Neither were plot points, but accepted by the inhabitants without reproach.

I think my only regret is that this book is so short. I guess that just means that I’ll have to be on the lookout for more from Katie in the future.

Besides following the webcomic, I did receive an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which did not affect my honesty in any way.
Summary:

From the award-winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons.

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own.

EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. I'm so serious. It was cute and heartwarming and had a message. The Tea Dragon Society was good wholesome fun.

There are so many interesting things I'm having a hard time sorting them out in my head to write this review.

Let's start with the major theme: traditions. The book begins with Greta questioning whether it's still important for her to learn her mother's craft. She comes from a line of blacksmiths, but apparently it's a dying art. Along the way she runs into a dragon, which she later learns is a tea dragon. Like blacksmithing, raising a tea dragon is no longer a cherished skill. Greta, her friends and her mentors all grapple with whether, how and why people should keep traditions alive.

As for the dragons themselves, well, O'Neil certainly put time into creating their stories. Each dragon produces a specific type of tea. When the tea is brewed properly, is has magical properties and contains all of the memories it has with its caretaker. Each tea dragon has its own personality and they're notoriously difficult to care for. They are quite unlike their full-dragon cousins.

Throughout the novel, there's also an LGBTQIA undertone. It's not overtly obvious, in fact, unless you're paying close attention you might miss it. While some novels attempt to push a political agenda down your throat in such a way that destroys the integrity of the story, the LGBTQ* elements were woven in so seamlessly that they just made sense.

The Tea Dragon Society was a well-written, beautifully illustrated, fully immersive experience. I'm actually kind of upset there aren't more novels out (yet?).

I want to know how Greta and Minette grow. I want to find out more about their families. I want to see what becomes of blacksmithing, tea dragon raising and other old-world crafts. I want to see what happens to Hesekiel and Erik. How do they care for each other? What exactly happened during the battle the tea dragon alluded to?

If you're reading this, do me a favor: grab a copy of The Tea Dragon Society and make sure all of your friends to the same.

I read this book cold, without previous knowledge of the writer/illustrator. It's a pleasant little book, the art is likable and the story is gentle. It's a sweet book I'd happily recommend to anyone looking for something escapist and charming but outside of the norm and at times unexpected. It's a little sight on story and character but that's more a personal factor than an objective one. If you're into the story, I think there's a lot to attach to.

A stunningly beautiful book, both visually and with a heartfelt message. I loved little Greta and her friends, and I just adored the tea dragons. It was a nice mix of magic and realism. The message of keeping a hold on traditions but also not holding onto a past that was painful, was well done and a good message for kids to hear. Definitely well done and a nice addition to any library.

Unfortunately I was unable to read this book, after I downloaded and re-downloaded the book to try and read it it still wouldn't open. I'm a little bummed but I look forward to reading it when it comes out.
The synopsis was very interesting and the cover is beautiful. I'm sure it will be a wonderful read.

I loved this graphic novel. The art is beautiful and over the top adorable. The story is about the art of passing on traditions, friendship, love and finding your tribe. It is diverse and magical in characters and subject matter. I would definitely recommend this.

Comforting as a warm cup of tea.

This is a sweet story of love and friendship and inclusion and tea and is basically everything I adore. As darling as the tea dragons are, the other characters hold their own with depth and humor and love. The soft illustrations lend a fairy tale feel to this story, with plenty of lovely passages framed in steam-like mists evoking the memories of the tea-dragon tea wonderfully. While this is a perfectly charming juvenile level story, adults too will enjoy it. Give it to the tea lover or fairy tale lover in your life.

Though I read this for free as an ARC from the publisher, it is a book I will need to own.

I love absolutely everything about this book. There is so much packed into such a short story. The world building is full and has a luscious past. There is diversity of everything (race, species, sexual orientation, etc). The art is breathtaking. The story is heartwarming and adorable. I want more stories about these character or at least set in this world! I obviously give this book a 5/5 and will be looking for more from Katie O'Neill!

****Extract from blog post scheduled for closer to publication date*****

THOUGHTS:

This beautifully written and illustrated manga-style fairytale is a delight of warm thoughtfulness.

The artwork is sublime, the characters all realistic and eminently likeable, and the tea dragons themselves are quite possibly the cutest creatures ever invented.

The legend of the Tea Dragons, and the story of the strong bond and shared memories they form with their guardians is enchanting; and the addition of Extracts from The Tea Dragon Handbook at the rear of the book was a welcome and intriguing discovery. The Tea Dragon Handbook includes an introduction to Tea Dragon care, information on the history of both Tea Dragons and The Tea Dragon Society, and individual fact-files on each species of Tea Dragon.

However something struck me as I was reading it for the third time that left me utterly insensed! I suddenly realized how inclusive the book was, no fanfares, no wordy blurbs, just honest inclusivity; which is just as it should be. I was angered, not by this book, but by all the ones that don’t get it right!

Gender stereotypes are ignored as Greta’s tall muscular mother is the town’s blacksmith, whilst her slighter framed father keeps shop; promoting and selling his wife’s creations alongside sundries such as tea.

Most relationships appear to be mixed race (or species!?) and same-sex couples are nothing of note.

Physical Disability and Mental Health feature as part of life rather than trotted out as yet another trope.

I utterly and wholeheartedly applaud this book for setting such a high standard that ALL books, graphic novel to weighty prose and everything in between, should aspire to.

Plus, I desperately wish for a tea dragon of my very own!


RATINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS:

I rate this beautifully written and illustrated tale 5 out of 5 magical stars.

I recommend The Tea Dragon Society to lovers of: wonderful tales with a mythological twist, beautifully illustrated graphic novels, diverse reads, dragons, and; of course; tea.

THE AUTHOR:

An illustrator and graphic novelist from New Zealand, Katie O’Neill mostly makes gentle fantasy stories for younger readers.

She is very interested in tea, creatures, things that grow, and the magic of everyday life.

You can find out more at teadragonsociety.com and follow Katie on social media, where she can be found using the moniker @strangelykatie on both Twitter and Instagram.

DISCLOSURE:

I received a digital copy of The Tea Dragon Society, via NetGalley and free of charge, for the purpose of supplying an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wasn't able to read before I was locked out. I wasn'able to get to it before it expired.