A simply delightful graphic novel!

Hadley and Juniper are going on an adventure! They have to travel to find a special ingredient for a large order of pastries before it is too late. But during their journey they discover the townsfolk have been complaining about something eating their crops which is affecting their livelihood. Wanting to lend a helping hand, Hadley and Juniper start a side quest to find what's responsible, and what they find is much different then what they imagined.

With warm, soft illustrations and adorable characters that will make you laugh out loud and bring a smile to your face, The Baker and The Bard is a simply delightful graphic novel you'll want to read again and again!

This was such a cute story! And I love the art style!I really enjoy cozy fantasy stories and this one just hit the spot! Thank you for the opportunity to read this early! I will be watching for more from this author!

This story was adorable! I loved the illustrations so much! It felt like a warm hug! I enjoyed the coziness, the characters. Start to finish it was sweet and fun!

I really enjoyed the world-building in The Baker and the Bard. The giant caterpillars and quiant forest adventure could have been really fun. I also really appreciate the nonbinary rep in the story. The characters were visually cute enough, but unfortunately, they were very bland where personality is concerned. The story also has no stakes whatsoever, so it just kinda floats along and then ends. Cute idea, but it's really forgettable.

While the artwork was absolutely lovely, the story fell short for me. I wanted to know more about the world, and to have some background of the characters that would make the budding romance feel real. For me this was YA that read like a kid's book. I think there's a lot of potential for Haught to produce something magical, I just feel they they aren't quite there yet.

I enjoyed the cozy feel of this and the art. The straightforward nonbinary conversation felt very shoehorned in and could have gone with a more subtle approach. Just the pronoun usage alone seemed like plenty (I say this as a nonbinary person).

This graphic novel was so sweet and cozy. The art style reminded me a little of K. O’Neill’s. I loved the magical world we were thrown into, the friendship elements, and the overall adventure. I hope there is a sequel.

A very simple, gentle graphic novel. I wish there was a bit more world-building, but the illustrations are nice.

Highly recommend if you loved Tea Dragon Society. This was a very nice cozy fantasy with beautiful artwork. It read a little on the younger YA side but I personally did not mind.

While this is pretty adorable, it just doesn't quite hit. First off, it was marketed as YA, but it feels pretty firmly middle grade to me. The themes in this graphic novel are pretty heavy handed. The nonbinary representation—undeniably important and prominently referenced in this book's marketing—is sadly not very well integrated into the story but rather awkwardly relegated to a seemingly out-of-place sidebar conversation. I did truly enjoy the artwork.

Full review posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5760681346

Super fast beautiful read. I loved it. The only problem was I wanted more story with these characters. I loved the art. The voice of this author. So so so good Highly recommend it.

I want to take a moment to think the publishing company, as well as NetGalley for providing me a copy of this graphic novel in exchange for my personal review. Overall, this was such a delightful graphic novel to read. It brought me on such a fun adventure that it did remind me a lot of the tea dragons society Series. If you enjoyed that series, then I definitely think you should pick this graphic novel up as soon as possible.

One of my favourite micro niches is queer cozy fantasy middle grade comics—which mostly just means I adore the Tea Dragon series by K. O’Neill. I have a print from that series on my wall. I have the box set. I have the card game! And since I read it, I’ve been looking for something else that is just as sweet, comforting, kind, and magical. When I heard about The Baker and the Bard, it rose to the top of my most-anticipated queer books of 2024. I’m happy to say that it lived up to those expectations.

Juniper and Hadley are friends in Larkspur: Juniper is a baker’s apprentice, while Hadley is trying to make it as a bard. When the bakery receives a very expensive rush order for galettes, the two of them set out to try to gather the rare mushrooms the recipe requires. Along the way, they discover that a nearby town has been dealing with something coming out of the woods and devouring their crops at night—a mystery Hadley is determined to solve.

I really don’t want to say much about the plot, because this is a short comic and would be easy to spoil. I’ll instead say that while they do go on a little adventure, it’s fairly low-stakes, just as I’d expect from a cozy fantasy. They make some new friends, including encountering fantasy creatures, which is a huge plus for me. I never really got past the Pokemon stage of wanting to collect and care for a variety of beautiful fantasy animals (though I never wanted them to fight).

Hadley is nonbinary, and there’s a little romance subplot between these two friends. It’s very cute.

If you like The Tea Dragon Society, cozy fantasy, or gentle and comforting comics, you have to pick this one up. I want a hundred more just like it.

This was a lovely and sweet story that I enjoyed reading it. The art is very cute, as well. Overall very cute and fun

I always love me some nice enby and queer representation!!! The story is was lovely and I can't wait to read it again!

This one reminded me of a mix of Tea Dragons and Rutabaga The Adventure Chef. We have the adventure looking for unusual ingredients that puts our characters into a more involved quest that teaches them truths about themselves. It's also soft and reflective both visually and in the plot.

If you have enjoyed the Tea Dragon series, I think that you will enjoy this book! “The Baker and the Bard” by Fern Haught takes readers through a journey as Juniper, the baker and Hadley, the bard, set out to find glowing oyster mushrooms for a recipe. While they are on their journey, they come across a mystery in another village. Will they be able to solve the mystery and get the mushrooms? You will have to read this cozy fantasy to find out! I adored the charming characters in this story. Also,what story about a baker would be complete without the addition of a recipe? At the end of the book is the recipe to create your own mushroom galette. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Image quality was poor and the story dragged on.
I was expecting more, I don't think the comparison to The tea dragon society is quite fair.

The Baker and the Bard was a delightful cozy fantasy book that explored belonging and love and a deep respect for nature. This book was wonderful- the illustrations were beautiful and the coloring was eye-catching and made me feel like I was in a fantasy world. I'll be keeping my eye out for Haught's future work- they have definitely become one of my favorite YA graphic novel authors!

A cozy fantasy read.

I adored this title. It's cute. Adventurous. Inclusive. I love how it reminded me of a cozy Dungeons & Dragons adventure - one where you don't come across any fighting but are just out there exploring a new town and meeting new friends! This is an example of #TransJoy and will definitely be recommending it to fantasy enthusiasts.