The Baker and the Bard was whimsical. I loved the baking scenes and the illustration style reminded me of The Tea Dragon Society. I think that's also a great comparison title to see if this is for you. If you love a story with fantastical creatures, queer characters, and cozy fantasy vibes pick this one up! While I was surprised by the quick resolution, I had such a fun time reading this one evening.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

-- 3.5 stars --

Juniper and Hadley are coworkers and BFFs. While June dreams of opening her own bakery one day, Hadley is content handling the deliveries at Mira's while following their passion as a performer and bard after hours. When a mysterious and fabulously wealthy lady hires Mira to make a special dessert for her party on short notice, Hadley jumps at the chance to go on an adventure: the glowing mushrooms needed for the dish grow several towns away.

Despite (or perhaps because of) their good intentions, June and Hadley are sidetracked by rumors of a monster consuming the farmers' crops in the city of Gryfice. Enticed by the mystery, they get so much more than they bargained for when they meet Goji, Petunia, Emerald, Bumble, and Dumpling - and their fey friend, Thistle. Can they broker a truce between the so-called "monsters" and townspeople - and return to Mira's with the mushrooms in time?

This might be my first foray into the realm of cozy fantasy (and especially cozy fantasy graphic novels), so I'm not sure where THE BAKER AND BARD ranks, but it's a really sweet tale that a) feels like a warm hug and b) left me craving some fresh-baked kalamata olive bread. It's a very quick read (honestly, it went by a little too quickly for my liking), but I guess that just means you'll have time to read it twice if so desired. There's also some really lovely LGBTQ representation, as well as a friends-to-lovers romance. But the giant caterpillars really stole the show for me, as did the gentle but unmistakable message about living in harmony with the nonhuman animals who share your home.

Wonderful art and such a sweet book. The simplicity of the story allows the complexity of the characters to stand out. The diversity and message are always welcome. However, the art is the real stand-out of this book!

Immediately the charming art style set the scene of what to expect in this cozy graphic fantasy novel. In this story, two friends -- a baker and a bard, if you can't guess by the title -- go on a quest to get an ingredient for a special pastry, and along the way they get into more adventure than they were expecting. 

I loved seeing the diverse species of beings in this cozy fantasy world, along with the casual queer rep. One of the two main characters, the bard, is nonbinary, in addition to a significant side character. I loved that we don't have to witness queer trauma in this story, we get to see queer joy and love which fits the cozy themes of this book. We need more queer normative environments to watch us thrive.

The art style is so cute with the calming colors, but I do wish there was more contrast on the page. The values kind of blend together, and it could help show what is most important and set better mood to have more shadows and highlights. Additionally, the images were slightly blurry, but that may just be the quality of the e-ARC and fixed for the final copies.

The story was simple but quaint. I loved seeing the themes of being kind to nature and those indigenous to an area while also working to get what you need from the land, and showing it doesn't have to be separate from eachother. I appreciate the bit of mystery at the end, and I like how the end leaves us open to receive more adventures without feeling like the story was incomplete.

Overall a very easy and cozy read, I can't wait to see more from this author! 4.5 Stars

Thank you to MacMillan, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Rating: 4
Genre: Fantasy
Thank you Feiwel & Friends for providing an e-copy through NetGalley.

Summary:
Juniper and Hadley have a comfortable life in their small town of Larkspur. Juniper works her craft as an apprentice at a bakery, mixing doughs and selling the wares at markets. Hadley dreams of epic adventures to fuel their songwriting, as they perform as a bard at the local inn. When an ethereal stranger requests a very specific dish, Juniper must journey beyond town to collect the rare glowing mushrooms of the recipe, and Hadley is more than excited to join her. Along the way, though, the pair discover a puzzling mystery: Something has been eating the crops of the nearby town, leaving behind a weird goo. Hadley, seeing the opportunity for new adventures that can inspire their songs, drags Juniper to investigate. The two will have to be clever and kind to solve this mystery while braving the forest, making new friends, singing new tales, and baking the best pastries along the way.

What I Liked:
The Baker and the Bard is a very cozy fantasy with charm, warmth, and friendship. Readers will follow Juniper and Hadley as they embark on this quest with little stakes and fun surprises along the way, letting readers relax as they soak in the tranquil story and setting. The two protagonists are a fun pair, with Juniper calm and collected and Hadley adventurous and funny, and their personalities match well together. The art is simple, with soft line art, minimal detail, and light, pastel coloring that reminds readers of a beautiful sunny day in the countryside. Hadley is nonbinary, and there is a brief discussion about it, which is always nice. Overall, a blissful graphic novel for readers who want a relaxing and delightful story to calm themselves. Best read on a sunny day.

What I Didn’t Like:
Sometimes, the art style didn’t convey the character’s expressions well - It could be hard to tell if someone was angry, frustrated, neutral, inquisitive, or happy because of the simplistic art.

Recommend to: Teens who like cozy, “cottagecore” graphic novels with calm art and low-stakes storyline. Mamo by Sas Milledge, Taproot by Keezy Young, and Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu are good read-alikes.

Review Date: February 13, 2024

This was a short, sweet and beautiful adventure about helping out wherever you can.. I really enjoyed the art, it was so beautiful and every little detail really was made to stand out. The story was good, if not a little too short and rushed. I wish the story was perhaps divided into two separate “quests”, that way the story could have focused a bit more on developing through the characters.

I still really enjoyed this, and the art again was magnificent. I also love the queer representation and how easily it was represented. I would pick up more from this author and continue on the adventures with Juniper, Hadley and Fern.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy, gentle but very little plot. It might appeal to readers who liked the Tea Dragon Society books but I felt like those were more in-depth. I really wanted to love it. I like to bake so a baking themed cozy fantasy novel sounded awesome but I found the art and the plot meh. I liked it ok and was easily able to read it on a lunch break but it isn’t one I’d ever revisit.

This is so cute. And sweet. And tender. My one complaint is that it's also too short! I would love nine more of these, please and thank you. Imagine if Ghibli did an episode of a fantasy fairy show. This. If you love K. O'Neill's work, you'll love this. It's soft and sweet and filled with tasty treats, and you will be swept away on a wee lil' adventure filled with gooey goodness and beautiful art. I highly recommend!

This low-stakes, easy-going fantasy was exactly what I needed. I read this graphic novel for a cozy time, and I got just that. I loved the pacing of the story, how the conversations flowed together like a true bard song. The water color paints & color palette of the illustrations really emphasized just how adorable and magical " The Baker and the Bard" really is. Reading a story that mainly has queer, diverse characters made me so happy to see! I would love to gift this to a child of mine one day.

Thank you NetGalley, Fern Haught, and the publisher for giving me an eARC in exchange for a review.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This cozy fantasy, reminiscent of The Tea Dragon Society, is a quick read about friendship and respect for nature with a bit of mystery. Beautifully illustrated and with a lovely recipe of a mushroom galette at the end of the book, it’s a cute story that would please those who like baking, fairies, and nature.

This is a cozy fantasy a la Legends and Lattes. Juniper and Hadley are two likable protagonists who solve a few minor mysteries, make some new friends, and start fulfilling some of their own goals. Very sweet story with cute artwork. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

There was a lot I liked about this book! The illustrations, the fantasy elements, the cozy feelings were all great. I just don't think there was enough substance to really flesh out the story. It felt very surface level.

I loved the art style and the simplicity of the plot (adventure.) The cover is what drew me in and you could tell that Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree was the inspiration for this author.

I enjoyed that the storyline followed two individuals who were excited to see the world in its diverse way. The downfall of this book was it's dialogue though. While sometimes it flowed nicely, sometimes what was being discussed felt out of place. I wish that for some of the big dialogue moments, there was a lead up instead of the blunt statements that were made. I likely won't purchase this book (potentially the author) due to the issue with dialogue. This will absolutely resonate with somebody but I am not the audience for that.
I typically love a book that explores different perspectives of the world but this felt blunt. It felt out of place in the setting of this story.

The theme of friendship and acceptance was beautiful though!

A short fantasy quest comic, probably good for middle grade readers. Sweet and simple both in story and in art.

This was a delicate and successful approach to conservation for kids. It offered realistic solutions in a fantasy setting. It also had a fresh discussion of gender and the fey world. Kids looking for optimistic, fun fantasy that is LGBTQ-friendly and thoughtful will love this one.

An adorable story that fits in with the cozy fantasy trend happening right now.

A journey for special ingredients turns into a mystery as the duo investigates mysterious disappearances and learn about friendship and preserving nature.

Highly recommend for fans of whimsical things like Stephanie Garber or Howls Moving Castle.

"The Baker and the Bard" is a cute and cozy read, reminiscent of "Legends and Lattes." The art is beautiful and the adventure story is driven by friendship and kindness. Though I enjoyed the graphic novel, it was a very fast read. The simplicity and content made the book read more like a Children's graphic novel and the characters felt underdeveloped. If this is one in a series, the author may have intended to leave room to grow, but the novel doesn't quite work as a stand-alone.

First, thank you so much for allowing me to read the arc for this book!

I thought this was a cute and cozy read with beautiful illustrations. I loved the Legends and Lattes feel but as an artist I always appreciate beautifully done art. It was super quick, but I honestly would’ve loved for it to be longer with some more detail to the various situations that occur don’t feel random.

Here were a couple things that weren’t clear for me:

1. We meet the character but get no background on them or their relationship besides Juniper being a baker and Hadley being a bard. As it turns out, Hadley is a delivery person for the bakery so that must be the relationship on how they know each other (maybe?).
2. They go on this adventure together and Hadley wants to seek out adventure for their music, but this never gets resolved. The end of the book has Juniper and Hadley as a travel cart bakery and doesn’t even look like Hadley is doing any music.
3. As much as I love a good coming out story, I REALLY wish there would have been background on Hadley having these thoughts and issues in the first place. It just seemed like a random and very personal conversation to bring up with a stranger you just met.
4. Background would also be important to understand where the magic comes from. Some people have it but others don’t. Is this due to their race of being?

It was still an adorable book though and I enjoyed the read! I would consider changing the tags for this one to a lower reading level though, it seems more children and graphic novel versus young adult, but that’s just my opinion. 🙂

I wanted to like this one more than I did like it? Despite its fantasy trappings, this was very slice of life or junior adventure. Not what I was expecting from a tittle marketed as YA.

The story is ok. The art is ok. I'm sure I'll have readers who will enjoy this, but for me it fell flat.

This is… fine? I’m honestly surprised it’s categorized as YA because it read very, very middle grade to me. Definitely appropriate for seven-year-olds and up; I don’t think the vocabulary was that difficult, either.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review