Juniper and Hadley are happy with their lives in Larkspur. They work at the local bakery, and perform at the inn on their nights off. When the owner of the bakery needs them to go on a journey to get a unique ingredient for a large order, they decide to add a little adventure to their lives.

During their journey, they come across an unusual mystery and decide to investigate. Some sort of creature has been eating farmer’s crops at night. Excited to have a new story to sing about, Hadley drags Juniper into the mystery. What was originally a quest for mushrooms now has turned into an adventure saving their new forest friends.

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught to review! Cozy fantasy graphic novels have been on the rise, and this book definitely fits the bill.

This graphic novel is short but sweet, featuring an adorable little adventure to find mushrooms. Haught has crafted a cast of diverse characters, and I absolutely loved the baking elements thrown in. There’s a recipe included at the end, inspired by the pastries with the glowing mushrooms. And it sounded delightful!

I would have perhaps liked a little bit more world-building, but I could definitely see this possibly becoming its own little series. The mystery about the creatures eating the crops was a low-stakes quest, and I did appreciate how the resolution presented more details about the world itself. But I’d be interested in learning more!

All in all, if you love things like Legends & Lattes and The Tea Dragon Society, definitely pick up this little graphic novel when it comes out in March!

This was an adorable and quick read. The story was unique and the characters were so loveable. I would absolutely read a sequel to this charming graphic novel.

*I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

This book was not particularly memorable - but was cute. The art is the strong point - with distinctive character designs and soft colors, it was fun to look at even on an e-reader, which is typically difficult for graphic novels in my opinion.

The story is a little slow, and it is perhaps meant for an audience younger than me who may enjoy it more. But it was quite cute and sweet. Good for fans of cozy fantasy.

The art was beautiful and the story was simple. As an adult, the “does your culture have gender?” part of the story felt forced, but I recognize that stories for children sometimes need to be more direct in their messaging. I want more LGBTQA+ representation in children’s books, especially in simple format that engages the reader, like a fantasy graphic novel.

Cozy fantasy is the exact right way to describe this graphic novel adventure. Both the art and storyline are perfectly sweet and cozy and the pastel colors suit the novel very well. I liked getting to peek into this fantasy world, but I did feel like the story was a little too brief. I wanted to learn more about this world, I wanted the elements of sustainability and environmentalism to be more developed, and I felt like a discussion of gender identity was good, but seemed a little shoehorned in. If the story was just a little longer, then more time could be given to all of that. But a little light romance and some lovely visuals almost makes up for it.

This book is the epitome of cozy fantasy. It’s a very low-stakes story filled with baked goods and pastel art. The panels are pleasing and soft, and the scenes with the bugs are true highlights of the work. The characters are distinctive, though I wish they’d been further fleshed out. Overall, this is a lovely comforting read that appeals to readers of many ages.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review

A cozy, low-stakes, mystery with an abundance of friendship. Juniper and Hadley are given the task to find a special type of mushroom for the bakery. Along the way, they discover that the nearby village is having trouble with their crops -- they're getting eaten! Hadley is yearning for an adventure, so they convince Juniper to help these townspeople figure out what's going on.

I loved Fern Haught's style of drawing. It's soft and fun, and it works so well for this story.
You can tell that representation is very important to the author; I hope that the inclusion of non-binary characters and overall acceptance for oneself hits home for other readers.

Not sure why, but somehow, those caterpillars were one of my favorite things about this! How are giant insects so cute?!

The Baker and The Bard was an adorable story of two friends* going on a little quest to find ingredients for the bakery they work at, and helping others along the way.

The art style of this graphic novel was exquisite, full of personality and color, and absolutely cute. I adored the character and town designs, the atmosphere, the use of color, it was all so calming and friendly.

I wish there had been more interpersonal conflict, or internal conflict within the story. Everything felt too easy, resolved too quickly, the characters were too agreeable. I wish there had been more conversation about what was happening, rather than fast and easy acceptance. It felt like the characters never had to overcome anything, they just showed up, didn’t even talk that much, and the good vibes saved the day.

Having worked directly with the age group this story is aimed at, both they and I would appreciate a story they can sink their teeth into more. Not a lot more, but enough to get their brains moving, to think of the world of the story more fully, and see it reflect their lives more accurately. These kids do get into conflict, go on adventures, enjoy the fantastical and wonderful. A story like this would be so good for them, except that everything resolves without much effort.

With this piece being the author’s only *soon to be* published work, I’m hoping to see more of this world and characters from them in the future to flesh everything out. This was an okay base to start with, but I want to see the growth and development of everything here going forward.

*Spoilers*
More than friends, but I don’t want to give anything away.

Also, the recipe at the end? So stinking cute, loved the illustration and its inclusion.

The Baker and the Bard is a wonderful fantasy adventure perfect for fans of The Tea Dragon Society! Readers of all ages will love following along as Juniper and Hadley go on a fun and fulfilling quest!

This was a VERY QUICK read. At around 160 pages I was surprised to get through it in about 30 minutes. I really liked the idea of the story in this one, and the art is beautiful, but it felt unfinished. I wanted MORE- more actual story, more character development, just more! This one says it's aimed at teens, but it felt a bit juvenile for that age group.

Those complaints aside, I really did enjoy this one. It was a cute, feel good story with queer rep in a fantasy setting- what's not to love.

Juniper and Hadley have a good thing going apprenticing at a bakery and performing at a local inn. When a customer places an order that requires a special ingredient, they go on a journey to forage this magical ingredient. Along the way, the stumble upon a mystery they couldn't ignore.

I've been in a graphic novel reading mood recently, and this was a cozy read. Its got adventure and subtle romance between Juniper and Hadley. I also like the art style, simple and eye-catching. It's giving fantasy vibes.

This was a beautifully illustrated graphic novel with water color vibe to the art style and a D&D vibe to the plot.

A baker and a bard go on a fast=paced adventure for different reasons, but wind up learning about themselves and each other in the process.

Best part of this quest? It's for glowing mushrooms? What better ingredient for a wealthy patron's party? Better news: the recipe for the mushroom galette is at the end! (warning: the real life recipe doesn't glow. I tried it. It was delicious, but no glowing qualities, sadly).

Hadley is a bard in need of an adventure to inspire their songs and spark their bardic tenancies for hyperbole. Juniper is in search of the needed mushrooms to fulfill an order with her boss. On their quest for the mushrooms, they have an unexpected side quest with some rather big caterpillars and butterflies. As all quests go, both wind up learning more about themselves and each other by the end.

This is such a cute, cozy graphic novel about a young baker and a young bard. This is the kind of nonbinary representation that is absolutely amazing to see in books for young readers! I'm sad it wasn't longer.

This book brought me a lot of joy. The comic style made it a fun read that anyone can enjoy. “The Baker and the Bard” follows a simple journey to go get some glowing mushrooms and the chaos that ensues. The story of Juniper and Hadley is a comforting tale of friendship and adventure, featuring magical mushrooms, giant caterpillars, and fey who care for the environment. There's not much to say, and I think that's a positive. "The Baker and the Bard" doesn't require lengthy paragraphs to explain its story. It has a compelling presence on its own. The book's art style is what truly captivates me! The read was wonderful, with hints of the environmental movement and conservation. Would highly recommend when this comes out.

Review:

Juniper, Hadley, and Hadley's pet snake are the trio I never expected to fall in love with. The Baker and the Bard is full of beautiful friendships and relationships, not just between Juniper and Hadley, but also with their new fey buddy and others in their village. This graphic novel is aimed at a younger YA audience, ages 12-18 and grades 7-9, according to Amazon. Because of this, the plot appears a bit simplistic and twee. However, the story is adorable, accomplishes what it aims to do, and has a great deal of representation and fun.

The Baker and the Bard is a super cozy, light fantasy, and has a low-stakes quest. Juniper and Hadley's quest is sweet and adventurous, and not at all scary. It's almost a cozy mystery for young teens in a fantasy setting. This book is promoted as perfect for fans of The Tea Dragon Society and Animal Crossing, and I agree completely.

The Baker and the Bard is dedicated to those who filled their pockets with pebbles at recess and talked to birds, and I've never read a more accurate depiction of myself at seven years old. I felt a sort of kinship with this book that was lovely and rare. Being as I'm not part of the LGBTQ community and this book features such wonderful non-binary and queer representation, I imagine this book will touch others in similar and even more impactful ways.

Art:

The art in this book is just beautiful. I would never say to buy a book for its aesthetic alone, but this book would nearly be worth it for just that. The art is whimsical, touched with fairy dust, and coated with just a bit of bread flour and dirt. If that vibe sounds like art you want to consume, then pick up The Baker and the Bard ASAP.

Final Thoughts:

The Baker and the Bard is an excellent cozy fantasy, great to use as a palette cleanser between heavier books, and is the perfect LGBTQ-friendly YA graphic novel for the younger teen in your life.

Blog Post will go live on Back Shelf Books at the below link on February 23, 2024.

This sweet little graphic novel delivers plenty of cozy vibes, with a charming artistic style that I resonated with right away. Juniper and Hadley embark on a journey into the forest when a customer at the bakery requests a recipe with a special ingredient. While out the in the woods, they spin off on a side quest to help a community protect the crops that are being destroyed with only a magical shimmering goo in their place.

Where it wins: gentle yet colorful illustrations, cozy mystery for younger audiences, nonbinary representation.
Where it stumbles: while I appreciate the inclusion of gender identity, I felt that it was dropped into the plot with very little context, so it seemed very out of the blue and like it was included just for the sake of being there. I think this will make the concept harder for children to relate to, as there's not much of a bridge to it from the plot they've been following up until that point.

This was a really cute cozy fantasy story. Hadley and Juniper are put on a journey to recover glowing mushrooms for a recipe their boss is making. They end up encountering fae, coming to terms with being different, and embracing crushes, while being a friend to the community around them. Very sweet story with cute graphics. Nonbinary representation, which I feel we need more of.

“A cozy fantasy adventure” is the perfect tagline for this sweet, simple, joyful story of two friends going on an adventure to collect mushrooms for baked goods.

Hello Fellow Readers,

This was such a short, heartwarming graphic novel filled with fun adventure. I really love the diverse cast of characters and the amazingly colorful artwork. This cozy little story is perfect for curling up with a warm drink on a gloomy day. Haught really does know how to create loveable characters even in a short story. Juniper is so sweet, while Hadley is adventurous. Both are well suited for each other.

Overall a cozy fantasy perfect for those who want to get into the genre.

I enjoyed this graphic novel, it's a cosy queer story following two characters on an adventure. But sadly, it was quite forgettable and I thought the art could have been improved slightly. The story was fairly simple and straightforward, it was a low stakes adventure. It's the perfect read when you're searching for a cosy queer comic to read in an under an hour.