First off, I think this was a lovely story. I saw a lot of reviews that say it's like a graphic novel of Legends and Lattes - the whole cozy fantasy vibe. I agree! It's great. I also love how cute June and Hadley are. However, I would not categorize this in the young adult genre. I could see it if there were more of journey in Hadley's gender, but this was more juvenile than young-adult. I would suggest to place this in the juvenile non-fiction graphic novel area. That isn't a bad thing in the slightest, and I know a few patrons at my library that I work at that would absolutely adore this book! It's so cute and fun, and I love the relationship between June and Hadley. It was sweet and simple, which is why I think it fits more in the juvenile section. The only thing I would suggest would be to clarify the conversation between Hadley and the fairy about gender and the binary. Make it more drawn out, or spread these thoughts that Hadley has throughout the entirety of the novel. Other than that I think it's a great, cute, and fun read!

Cottagecore queers, this one’s for you.

Juniper and Hadley are two humanoid forest creatures who work in a bakery. They’re sent on an adventure to look for special oyster mushrooms one day when a large pastry order is placed. Getting slightly distracted, they fall into a side quest to solve the mystery of who is eating farmers' crops.

The art was super cute and the story had elements of environmentalism, a little bit of queer romance, fairies, and foraging.

A light YA graphic novel to cozy up with in the fall!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the eARC! The Baker and the Bard is out March 5, 2024.

ARC provided by NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Actual Rating 3.5 ⭐


This was such a wholesome, cozy fantasy with stunning artwork! This is a fast paced graphic novel about a baker and a bard who embark on an adventure to find some special mushrooms for a large bakery order. Upon traveling to a neighboring town, they stumble upon a mystery and end up meeting some new friends along the way. While I really loved the artwork, the little recipe at the end, and the overall story was interesting, this graphic novel didn't feel long enough for some of the themes such as lgbtq+ representation and the discussion surround gender, the overall theme of acceptance, and the love between the bard and baker felt very weak. Due to it being so short and no deep exploration of those themes, this graphic novel feels like it's geared to a much younger audience, as early as 3rd or 4th graders. I would have loved to have seen more details, more build up especially with the two love interests, and a little more exploration of the themes throughout this book. Overall, it's a cute, fast paced, cozy fantasy read and one that will have rpg lovers feeling like they're experiencing their first adventure in a D & D campaign all over again!


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.

3.75 stars rounded up. This graphic novel is very cozy with whimsical fantasy characters and gorgeous illustrations/coloring. Juniper and Hadley set off in search of magical mushrooms to help fulfill the bakery’s large galette order from an enigmatic patron (I love that the recipe is included at the end!). There’s a bit of mystery and a lot of distracted sidetracking on the adventure, which candidly, caused the plot to suffer a bit. Overall, this was a fun, quick read and I’m grateful to NetGalley for the digital copy.

This graphic novel was very cozy and cute. The illustration style lent itself very well to the soft feel of the story. The character design reminds me a bit of the cartoon Doug in a way that is nostalgic and fun to reminisce about.

The two main characters, Juniper and Hadley, have a fun dynamic. Hadley is definitely a bard longing for adventure and experience and they find that when paired with Juniper. Juniper is the voice of reason in their relationship and keeps Hadley anchored without being overbearing or negative. They are playful and comfortable with each other. I especially appreciated Hadley’s summoning of the detective hats for themself and for their snake companion, Fern.

The story pacing is a little fast in the back half of the book and I would have liked to see it paced out a bit slower with some of the story beats. The resolution with the town folks and the mayor might have felt a bit more solid if there was a bit of conflict upon their approach (even if it was just as simple as the town guard sounding an alarm, nothing hostile).

As much as I appreciated Thistle’s campfire conversation with Hadley about gender, I think there could have been a bit more of a build up to it. It seemed very abrupt and out of the blue, but in line with that, it made Hadley feel like they were ADHD-coded, which isn’t a bad thing and fits with their character overall.

I enjoyed the cozy feel of this graphic novel and am excited to see more about Hadley & Juniper if they return for more adventures now that they have their mobile bakery cart.

I love this graphic novel!!! What a sweet and cozy story about two best friends going on an adventure together. I didn't want it to end and hope to see more from Haught about these two loveable characters. It's just a cute, short story with beautiful art to match the cozy vibes.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to review it!

Best friends Juniper and Hadley go on an adventure to find a rare ingredient for Juniper’s bakery. Along the way, they run into a mystery, make a new friend, and save the habitat of some furry creatures.

The Good:

✔️A very enjoyable debut novel

✔️Colorful, imaginative artwork

✔️Queer characters

The Bad:

❌It needs more developing

❌The story felt rushed

❌I couldn’t get a feel for any of the characters

I really enjoyed this book. I’m super excited to read this author’s next books. Fern Haught has a lot of talent and imagination. I did have a few problems with the overall development of the book. However, given that it is a debut, I tend to give them some extra credit.

I did have some personal dislikes about the art. I feel like the art style doesn’t show the characters’ emotions enough and that there isn’t enough detail in the scenes. The scenes could be swapped around and it wouldn’t make much of a difference in the story. However, I did really like the soft, bright colors.

I’m so happy the term nonbinary was explicitly used in this book. We don’t often get that word used directly in mainstream media. One might argue that it’s an anachronism, but, for the most part, anachronisms don’t bother me.

This book is marketed at YA but it could be middle-grade or YA. It’s a little too simplistic to be YA for my taste. Which brings me to the story development. I was disappointed that it was so surface-level. We don’t get to know any of the characters besides ‘Juniper is a baker’, ‘Hadley is a nonbinary bard’, and ‘Thistle is a fey’. I understand that it’s a short graphic novel, but I wanted a little more depth.

Overall, I had a fun time reading this book and I am really excited for this author. The Baker and the Bard is the perfect read for a cozy little night in with some hot chocolate.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, what a cute and cozy story!
As soon as you start reading, you're immediately immersed in this world Fern Haught created. There's no need for an introduction or exposition, you're instantly familiar with the characters and the world they live in. It was a very sweet story and you'll finish it with a smile on your face!
The art style was pleasant and consistent, and the colors are always soft and warm, which adds to the cozy feeling of the story. The plot was simple, I would argue it fits more in the middle grade/teen category than YA, but it was nice and well executed. Without giving too much away, it was nice to glimpse into a world where everyone is kind and well intentioned.
It's not five stars for me because I think it could do with a bit more depth into the subjects it raises. like habitat destruction and gender identitiy.
Either way, this is a great book to read with your kids or young cousins or if you're young yourself. It's a very subtle way to start a conversation and it has a very cute message.

Thanks netgalley for the earc

This book was just not for me I tried to read it but could not finish

→5 stars

so. freaking. cute!! i couldn't wait to get my hands on this and I'm so glad I was approved for the arc!

if you're looking for a cozy, fantasy, adventure story with absolutely adorable characters then look no further come March, 5th! follow the tale of Juniper and Hadley as they embark on an adventure to find the glowing mushrooms for a special recipe. they meet some friends along the way and solve the mystery of the dying crops and mysterious creatures! highly recommend!

thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and the author for giving me an arc!!

This is a cute graphic novel about two friends (and crushes) going on an adventure together. They need to collect materials for their bakery, but they stumble across a mystery that they want to solve. This opens their world to different creatures, and the friends expand their relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A baker and a bard must journey to another town to pick up a special ingredient for a customer's order. A very light-hearted "cozy" adventure, that was charming, and very low stakes. This graphic novel is short and sweet, but too simplistic for my taste. The plot was very basic, and the dialogue also felt rather jejune. The nonbinary representation and accompanying simplified explanation of what NB is were nice. It was a short and straightforward explanation. The art style was cute, but again, was much too simplistic for me. This is marked as a Teen/YA book, I think honestly it would be better as a Middle Grade book.

3 stars

A cute cozy fantasy with charming art. However I felt I didn’t really get to know the characters that well, especially Juniper. I wish it had been longer so there could have been more time spent getting to know the characters and establishing their relationships before the adventure started.

True to name, Fern Haught's debut graphic novel is coziness incarnate. Haught's illustrations are soft and inviting, while their story blends fantasy and slice-of-life to create a tale that's as whimsical as it is relatable. The Baker and the Bard is the perfect young adult graphic novel for fans of Wendy Xu and K O'Neill.

The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught shared the story of a young baker and a young bard who set off on a journey to find some glowing mushrooms to bake with (and along the way, experience an adventure worthy of writing songs about). The two find a mystery that they sidetrack to solve - meeting a new friend, learning about the environment and yes, ultimately getting those mushrooms.

The artwork is beautiful in this graphic novel and the simple storyline has a lot to share with the reader. I loved the nonbinary representation in the book and how it was just part of the storyline, not the focus.

Overall, this was a lovely little read with gorgeous illustrations that will be well-received by middle grade readers.

Juniper and Hadley are on an adventure! Setting off on an errand for the bakery they come across a fey and their family that needs their help.

This was a quick and soft read. I appreciated the queerness and how it played into the story, but wasn't the conflict. I love when the art matches the tone of the story and I think this graphic novel did a great job of that, Juniper's design was my favorite!

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

That was weird. I think this was a me issue. And just not for me. I did not connect with any of the characters. And the dialog was very one dimensional.

Thanks @netgalley for the eARC!

Will I continuously be rereading this graphic novel every time I need a cozy pick me up? Yes, yes I will. The characters are fantastically lovable and wholesome. The story and plot are simple but get the job done with a sweet little adventurous mystery and fun along the way! Plus the illustrations are some of my absolute favorite! If you’re looking for something to set the perfect vibe, this is definitely it.

Juniper and Hadley go on a quest for glowing mushrooms, and along the way they make some new friends and solve a mystery together.

This book was so cute! The artwork is fantastic, fitting well with the style of the book. The story itself is amazing, weaving in tales of friendship, how to live alongside people different from us, and more. It was just a really good graphic novel. The only problem I have is I don't know any fey that can let me ride on their butterlies!

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley.

Two friends—an apprentice baker and aspiring bard—set of on an adventure to gather ingredients to fill a special order at the bakery they both work at in this delightful little cozy fantasy read. I think that it would be excellent for kids, especially. I loved the non-binary rep and the fact that the art was so cute and accessible. I appreciated how the main plot focused on the interconnected web of life.