This was such a cozy read. I had such a delightful time reading this graphic novel. The characters were a lot of fun, and the art was really cute. I did want to a little bit more depth from this, but overall it is just so delightful.

Such a cute and cozy read. The art is soft, the characters are sweet and you just need a fast glimpse to see they like each other but this is not a romance, it's an adventure! Looking for an important ingredient for a special pastry order will bring them to meet new people and experience the world outside their village. It was really cute.

The art, the color scheme, and the story were all so great...and it's their debut?! This was such a cute and cozy quick read, that I think would be perfect for fans of The Tea Dragon Society and Garlic and the Vampire. It has magic, baking, friendship, adventure, and fae. I will definitely be adding this to my collection.

I LOVE an adventure story. I love a cozy fantasy world. I love friendship! I love a book that HAS A RECIPE IN THE BACK.

I also love not only the representation, but the discussion of gender between the two characters. I think it was so seamlessly written in. I loved that.

It was simple and sweet and I loved it.

This was super cute. I really liked the art. The story was fun and whimsical. All the characters were super lovable and adorable. Definitely would recommend to cozy fantasy fans!

The Baker and the Bard was such a sweet graphic novel about discovering one's self and passion. It was a light adventure novel with amazing cozy vibes, which the art style did a great job emphasizing. The characters were an amazing balance to each other and helped progress each other.

A sweet and fluffy adventure, short and fast paced. Full of laughter and joy. Soft and sweet characters, stunning illustrations.

One of my favorite art styles! Loved this so much it was a cozy, fun , and beautiful tale! A quick read and I love that a Recipe was included at the end! Unique characters that I would enjoy seeing on another adventure! Highly recommend!

This is a fun, adventurous yet cozy fantasy about a baker and bard who set off on a journey to find rare ingredients for a special bakery order. The Baker & the Bard gives the same vibes and energy as The Tea Dragon Society series and really any of K. O'Neill's work. It's beautifully queer and heartwarming. The illustrations are delicate with a soft color palette and rounded edges.

A small wish I have for this book is that I wish the plot would have dove a bit deeper into our character's adventure. Having such a simplistic plot made it feel like it was jumping around at times, and I just really wanted to spend more time with the characters and their friends.

This title definitely reads younger and would be suitable for middle school readers.

A very cute and cozy children's fantasy graphic novel! This has a baker and a bard (with a cute little snake) end up on an adventure.

The artwork was great, and this is a bit simpler of a story, but for the audience it's intended for - this would be a very fun "first fantasy/rpg inspired book" for young readers!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Feiwel & Friends for making this ARC accessible!

This was a very cute and a very tender story! 4.5
The artwork and the main story line really caught my attention and heart the most!! Loved the ending bit where an actual recipe was illustrated and included- lovely touch. I enjoyed the character design additions in the back too.

My only issue was it felt disjointed somehow and felt like the author was fitting a whole bunch of story pieces into one graphic novel with a few loose ends or slightly off pacing parts that i had a hard time following all the way.

Lovely, gorgeous artwork and loved the characters so much tho!!

This book was so much fun! Sweet, thoughtful, and beautiful, The Baker and the Bard was comforting in a way I didn’t even know I needed. Although relatively short, I felt like I deeply connected with Juniper, Hadley, and this entire world—a fantasy world with a feeling of such normalcy that I immediately was sucked into it. The characters were truly lovely; in particular, Juniper and Hadley’s interactions felt so realistic, and their friendship consistently made me smile. I also loved the queer/nonbinary characters, whose acceptance in this world fit so well and made me think of A Psalm for the Wild-Built.

​The illustrations were bright and fun, and helped make this book a quick read while moving at a relaxing, leisurely pace. I particularly loved the frequent full-page illustrations, which contributed such a sense of place and atmosphere to the story. Although often relatively simple, they were perfectly expressive, and the primarily pastel color palette helped maintain the quiet, open mood of the story. If you love graphic novels or just feel-good reads, this is definitely a book I'd highly recommend!

A young baker sets off to find a special ingredient but finds a village facing devastation from caterpillars. This is a sweet, simplistic story of friendship and environment. It would best fit upper elementary and young middle school readers.

A cute story about a baker and a bard going out to get supplies but find a larger adventure along the way. The storyline is very simple and cozy without a lot of angst. The art style reminds me of watercolors and it fits with the cozy vibes of the story. I like that the fantasy world of the story is queer normative with a variety of creatures. It seems like the book may be geared towards younger YA audiences.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Juniper and Hadley set out on an adventure to gather glowing mushrooms to make a special pastry for the bakery. Along the way they find out huge creatures are destroying crops of a nearby village so adventurous character, Hadley, decides they MUST investigate! They set out on their side quest and find the source of the problem. Huge caterpillars are eating the crops and they meet a Fey named Thistle who is the caretaker of the fuzzy creatures.

Juniper and Hadley find out that the Fey and the caterpillars had no choice to eat the crops because the villagers cleared away their environment. After meeting with the villagers and the Mayor they find a solution. Thistle rewards them by guiding them to the glowing mushrooms!

This gender friendly queer-friendly cozy fantasy book will leave you with ooos and awwws throughout with its warm colors, yummy illustrations, and overall whimsy! Although a short story, it leaves you with a sense of closure and a warm feeling of reading a good story.

Such a cute read for younger readers looking for a cozy fantasy. I would put it up there with the Tea Dragon Society and Mel the Chosen.

For kids looking for some LGBTQ content and role models, this would be a great recommendation.

Beautifully illustrated book, but I felt like the story was lacking. I think I would have preferred to just see them on the adventure for the mushrooms and had a more fleshed out story with that adventure.

this was such a sweet graphic novel! the art style is so beautiful and the story itself was so wholesome. the characters are going on an adventure to find an ingredient for an order at their bakery and they make a new friend along the way.

i do wish the story was a bit more fleshed out because it didn’t feel fully developed, i feel like it would’ve benefitted from being a bit longer. some of the dialogue also felt a little disjointed from the main story, i wish it felt more seamless.

overall, this was a sweet graphic novel with stunning illustrations and i would recommend it if you’re looking for a quick cozy fantasy read!

thank you to netgalley and macmillan children’s for the arc in exchange for an honest review! 🤍

An adventure and a yummy treat, it truly is the best of both worlds!

Fern Haught’s debut graphic novel, The Baker and the Bard, is a whimsy tale of identity and friendship. Following baker’s apprentice Juniper, aspiring bard Hadley, and Hadley’s adorable pet snake, Fern, The Baker and the Bard is great for children to learn about environmental stewardship and the importance of listening to people who are different from you.

To begin, the simple but whimsical drawings from Haught are sure to entice a young reader, whether they are exploring the graphic novel medium for the first time or a graphic novel devotee. Haught’s art beautifully showcases the many different creatures in the fantastical world they have created. Even little Fern (the snake) has interesting style and a personality evident in the art.

In addition, the lessons within the graphic novel are well-woven throughout, in a way which may seem obvious to an environmentally-conscious adult, but perfect for kids who are curious about our impact on nature and the differences between how people view themselves and their place in the world. Both Hadley and Juniper have a lot to learn, and not just in the fields of music and baking, respectively.

Finally, I’m in love with any book which includes a recipe, and this book is no exception. While I won’t spoil what the recipe is, it is certainly one I may have to try in the near future. As someone who loved learning how to cook as a kid, I believe the inclusion of a recipe that the characters bake in the story will help kids get excited about attempting to cook the recipe and maybe even try some new foods while they’re at it.

The only thing I was wishing for a bit more of in The Baker and the Bard is a bit more description of who the characters are before the events of the story take place and the world around them. We do get a glimpse at a few towns in Haught’s world, and it is obvious Hadley and Juniper do grow as people during the narrative, but I think getting to hear a bit more of the characters’ journeys up to that point and more of their flaws could have made the lessons just that more powerful. Of course, some of these details may be shown more in later installments of Hadley and Juniper’s story, but they would have been nice to establish in the beginning.

The Baker and the Bard will be released on March 5, 2024, and can be found on Amazon and Macmillan Publishers.

I want to thank Macmillan Children's Publishing for sending me an advanced copy of The Baker and the Bard in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this graphic novel. To me, this was almost a combination of and would be perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and The Tea Dragon Society series. I thought the art was as equality as charming as the characters in this cozy fantasy adventure.