I picked this up to advance read it for my daughter, who has loved other K O’Neill books deeply. Having just finished this one, I anticipate it’ll join the Tea Dragon Society among her favorites — I know I loved it.

The story follows two young kids who are trying to figure out where they fit between family and peer expectations, a struggle so many middle grade readers are going to be intimately familiar with. Our main character is an aspiring Ranger, tasked with flying with a Pegasus, patrolling land to keep humans and the land in a healthy balance. They’ve almost gotten confirmed as an official ranger when the Pegasus gets hurt. While recovering, the pair get tasked with helping a local shepherd take wool to sell in nearby villages. Over the course of their friendship, they encourage each other quietly and consistently to become more self actualitized — one in gender expression and the other in confidence about their passion.

The art style is so soft and tender. It’s a world that feels so gentle and cozy, you just want to sit and admire the work with a cup of tea under some snuggly blankets. While the dialogue is sparse, each frame communicates the narrative beautifully (and bonus if you have new readers, many of these frames with dialogue will be great practice for them, and the frames without words will keep them from feeling overwhelmed).

My favorite elements of this graphic novel were part 9, where we get a flashed forward glimpse of our characters, aged up and self actualized; and the sketches K O’Neill included after the end of the book. The anatomy study of the horse in preparation to draw the Pegasus was particularly endearing.

The only thing I found myself wishing for was more background on the secondary character Leone. I felt like his story could have been fleshed out with a few more frames so we can really understand the passion he has for music. We get a couple of lines of dialogue explaining what happened but it would have been nice to see it on the page, for me.

I absolutely loved this one and can’t wait to pick up a physical copy for my new reader. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this charming book!

Thank you to Random House’s Children Division via NETGalley for this ARC!

I have been a big fan of K O’Neill for the last couple of years and while I love all of their work, this one is by far my favorite. To keep it short and sweet, this beautifully crafted story about finding confidence in who you truly are and the magic that comes along with it is something I wish I could have read as a kid and am blessed to have now.

Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL coming of age with gorgeous illustrations!

Such a cozy story with artwork to match. We follow two characters while they work on finding their paths/passions. The slow pacing and low sakes really helped me connect with our MCs and walk with their on their journeys. I enjoyed seeing both characters explore their gender identities too along the way. Seeing queer characters in middle grade books is SO important and the author does it with such care and ease in all of their graphic novels.

I love this author so much, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Another book I recommend teachers to put in their classroom for their students 🎻💜

a HUGE thank you to random house childrens/random house graphic for allowing me to read an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

this was a 3.5 rounded up for me.

let me first preface this by saying a 3.5 is ABOVE average and this was a good book!! it just felt a little flat and unfinished at some parts.

THINGS I LOVED:
✩ the art style!! it felt like a studio ghibli movie at times while also feeling the authentic vibe of a graphic novel in its own right.
✩ the idea that you don't owe anyone anything when it comes to being able to be seen as who you truly are. rowan finding their identity and name throughout the story was heartwarming to say the least.

THINGS THAT FELL FLAT:
★ the art to word ratio was a little off... this is basically an art book with a loose plot and dialogue here and there. it seemed like most pages were just images. WHICH IS FINE! i just felt that because of the lack of words/dialogue/plot development it felt like the characters appeared flat and one dimensional.

i would definitely recommend this book if you like:
✬ k. o'neill's backlog
✬ studio ghibli
✬ queer stories about knights and rangers
✬ finding yourself as a subtle message in a book

As always, the illustrations in K’s books are fantastic. The story was great and I really enjoyed the characters.

There were a lot of panels without words, but this is fairly common in graphic novels for this age group. The pictures did a great job of conveying the story even when there were little to no words.

There were a couple of words that I thought were a little advanced for the age group this book is suggested for, but it wasn’t a lot and they should be old enough to look up words they don’t understand.

All in all, a great read.

K. O'Neill continues to write such beautiful graphic novels. Their art is amazing, and this novel, in particular, reminds me of The Moth Keeper. (I could see these stories being set in the same universe.) The story is quiet yet radical as both kids grow and discover themselves in new ways. I loved the way O'Neill portrays these changes throughout the book. The setting was rich and I loved the overlying theme of connecting with nature and with the self.

4 Stars
One Liner: Terrific illustrations

A ranger’s job is to protect but the position isn’t given to anyone. When proving herself worthy results in the injury of the winged horse, Rose is given another job. Helping the lazy Leone seems like a punishment until Rose realizes some lessons are yet to be learned and it comes from understanding who she is. Along the way, Leone might learn something too!

My Thoughts:
Firstly, I’m not sure about the blurb. The Rowan part doesn’t come until later and is a part of character and plot development. Not revealing it might have been better maybe.
After loving the Tea Dragon Society trilogy, I was delighted to get approved for this book. The author’s illustrations tell the story with a few words to ease the narration. I also love how seamlessly the author includes gender identity in the work.
As a middle-grade fantasy, this one is pretty low-stakes and super cozy. It is soothing, gentle, mellow, and heartwarming. However, it also tends to rush through some scenes while lingering on others.
Without revealing spoilers, I’ll say that the book subtly and deftly shows the wannabe ranger’s dilemma about identity. The solution is simple acceptance, which fits the cozy and utopian-ish vibe of the book.
I love the Pegasus. It looks so majestic and beautiful! There are many frames without text. These effortlessly advance the plot. The silence feels peaceful and respectful (like how we don’t speak in scared sites). Every character is distinctly drawn, so there will never be any confusion about who’s who.
Why did I not rate it higher? Leone needs more backstory. The focus is on Rowan but also on Leone. This didn’t work as well as it should have. A few more pages would have helped.
To summarize, A Song for You and I is a beautiful, sweet, and lovely book about identity, nature, and friendship. The book has a few sample practice sketches at the end. These are my favorites! Is there anything better than getting a sneak peek into the illustrator’s drawing book?
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Graphic, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Similar to the author’s other works (The Tea Dragon Society, Princess Ever After), this graphic novel is so lovely, sweet, and calm! The illustrations were outstanding, and I loved the slow pacing. The main character goes through some great growth, and I appreciated their relationships to the people around them. An absolutely lovely queer graphic novel!

🌈Queer rep: nonbinary main character. NB/M main pairing. Secondary FF couple.

A Song for You and I was a beautifully soft story that warmed a part of my core as I flipped though the pages. It follows a young bard and a young ranger as they are facing a turning point in their lives. This story is sweet and approaches figuring out oneself through a layer of care and compassion that I thoroughly enjoyed. I, like many, am one of my toughest critics and I could see myself reflected in these characters. I saw myself in Rowan who is trying to figure out who they are, while Leone reminded me of a part of myself who is always there to celebrate and cheer me on. There is something to be said for unconditional love, care, and support especially from those who we may not feel we deserve it from. All of that to say, this book was sweet, and cozy. I imagine it a lot like laying in a meadow, listening to the wind, flowers and grass dancing around your head. Their may be clouds, but ultimately the sun shines on your face again and warms your soul. This book was beautiful, the art was phenomenal. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer and didn’t move so fast. I would’ve loved to dive further into these characters, but I feel like we just scratched the surface.

Thinking about A Song for You and I is going to make me cry tears of joy. It was so cute!

The story follows Rowan, a ranger, and Leone, a musician, after Rowan’s horse is injured and she gets reassigned to accompany Leone on deliveries.

It was full of short adventures that allowed both Rowan and Leone to grow more comfortable with themselves and confident in their livelihoods. The people they met at each destination or along the way were all interesting and helpful in letting the two open up more to themselves and to each other.

The art style, coloring, and storytelling through illustration was wondrous. Soft, joyful, and purposeful. I loved all the scenery and nature as well as the details in the characters.

Honestly for anyone looking for a comforting, reassuring, and low-pressure adventure of a book, look no further!

Every time I pick up a graphic novel by K. O’Neill I go and expecting beautiful artwork and a cute, fun story and then I end up sobbing my way through the end. You’d think that by now I would’ve learned better and would be going in prepared. But you would be wrong. At least the art is beautiful.

A Song for You and I is about two kids who are trying to find their place in the world. Sometimes in order to embrace who you are, you need someone to believe in you first and grant you the courage to be yourself. This is a story about friendship and acceptance. It also has winged horses which you can never go wrong with.

This book was like a warm hug. I highly recommend it to anyone with kids in their life who are questioning their identity or knows someone who is. So basically every kid.

Overall I loved everything about this and I cannot wait to see it on my shelves. Thank you, Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

While I typically enjoy K. O'Neills work,I found this story to be a bit bland. As usual I love the art style and colors a lot, but we’re not told much about the characters and it makes it hard to form any connection to them. The ending was very abrupt and left me feeling incomplete.

I do want to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

K. O'Neill delights once again with another gorgeously illustrated graphic novel about imperfect people and the worries they carry doing their best. A wonderful story featuring two characters who are scared of failure but aching to be their truest selves, Rowan and Leone live in a richly colored world that manages to feel fully realized without trying too hard, with O'Neill's typical style of giving glimpses without over-explaining.

It's a story that validates who you are and encourages you to keep trying despite failures and shortcomings; a warm hug when you're being too hard on yourself.

There is something deeply healing about K. O'Neill's work. "And A Song For You and I" is no different. With lovable relatable characters, beautiful art, and a story of self love this book was just what I needed.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy! K O’Neill does not disappoint! This book has so much charm. I love the character so much. It’s such a simple story but there’s so much to love. The art blows me away. Just a stunning book about love and finding confidence. K is an auto-buy author for me so I can’t wait to get this when it comes out!

(I somehow accidentally requested both copies of this gorgeous graphic novel- oops!!!)

11/04/2024 || A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill || #ASongforYouandI #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, K. O'Neill, and Random House Children's | Random House Graphic for making this e-ARC available!

Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
All of my thoughts are my own~

5 Stars

Honestly, K. O'Neill's books never, ever miss! From the story to the illustrations, I always enjoy O'Neill's works to the fullest! This one made me cry and yearn for more of the story of Rowan, Leone, and Kes - and all their other friends/characters.

K. O'Neill once again has created a story full of self discover, self love, love of community and friends and found family, respect, and kindness.
Rowan's story touched my heart! There are so many gorgeous environment illustrations to enjoy, the different transition pages with illustrations, and the general plot line were all just so well done. I really liked the character development as well.

*thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

this is such a lovely and heart-warming story. pieces like these where the reader is brought along with the main character's journey of self discovery and acceptance are some of my favourite. i like how O'Neill develops characters, showing them make mistakes and figuring out how to fix them and take responsibility for their actions.

it's truly an unashamed humanness that K. O'Neill illustrates in both her art and narratives. as always, a delight to read what this author and artist shares.

K. O'Neill has once again written a beautifully illustrated soft fantasy for all ages to enjoy. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the ARC.

This was a highly anticipated release for my 8 year old. Per her, she loved the story and the art. She has not yet read The Tea Dragon Society, but this made her very excited to read it. She read the whole book in one sitting.

I was so happy to read another K O'neill work. Their works are so comforting like breathing in freshly made bread. A reader can't help but be swept away into a tender, beautiful world. And A Song For You and I is just like that.

O 'Neill's works are all about accepting yourself and understanding the world around you. Rowan is a Ranger Initiate who is eager to prove their self but in that eagerness she gets her pegasus Kes injured. Now they doubt if they should be a Ranger. while Kes is healing, Rowan is given the the task of helping out Leone, a sheep hearder who would rather play the violen then watch the flock.

This story is a great read for kids and adults alike. Both Leone and Rowan struggle with their own identities and what they want to be in the future. One of the best lines from the book is a beautiful line of accepting yourself:" It gets a bit tirin ', tryin' to prove yourself to others. Some people are just never gonna see you the way you want to be seen, y 'know? I reckon it's best to please yourself first, and the ones who love you will get it."

The art work as always is simply beautiful. Everything is colorful and soft and cozy. It is a great way to escape from what we are dealing with in the real world. I love how the horses look and move, I know the author stated they weren't sure about them but i think they did a great job. I also really love how the hair looks like it is blowing in the wind.

I will definitely be recommending this book to others. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Graphic for an ARC of A song for you and I.