This was soooo cute! The art was so beautiful!! I really enjoyed reading this. I went in without knowing what I was going to get, but what I received is everything I could have hoped for. I absolutely loved the characters and the world we got to explore. As for plot, I felt we skipped a good bit at the end that could have been explored. I wish there were more leading up to the carving of the name instead of time jumping to afterwards.

This was another very lovely story from K. O'Neill! I really love their storytelling and artwork, and I'm happy to say that this one was a hit, too. It has themes of self-acceptance and knowing your worth as a person, even if others don't see you the way you'd like them to. Both of the main characters go through transformation to find themselves and grow their self-confidence. I also loved the main character's relationship with their flying horse. As always, O'Neill's artwork is beautiful and really immerses the reader in the story.

I am so sorry to say this but I did not really enjoy this book. The storyline and message seemed good but it took forever to get there. The amount of wordless, actionless, and vague cartoon panels littered throughout this made it so hard to get through. It felt like 1/2 of the panels in the book could have been cut and you would still get the same story. I have loved books by this author in the past but this one was a disappointment.

A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill is a middle-grade standalone fantasy graphic novel about two young people trying to be themselves and growing to understand what that means. Rowan wants to be a ranger, and takes their duties very seriously, desperate to prove themself. Leone wants to follow his dreams to become a violinist, but hasn't the confidence to do so. While the early stages of their friendship are rocky, Rowan and Leone will soon realize how important this relationship is to them and their journeys.

K. O'Neill's art style is whimsical yet poignant, adorable yet powerful. They are an expert at using color and non-verbal panels to clearly convey the emotions and tone of a scene, whether through a series of small actions or a climactic two-page spread. O'Neill has established themself comfortably as a slice-of-life, cozy fantasy storyteller, and I am excited to read another of their works. Please, keep them coming! Readers of all ages can benefit from these stories! That said, I do wonder if bringing out Rowan's gender questioning a little bit more in the beginning of the story would help make that plot point a little less abrupt? Other than that, the pacing was very well done.

Readers who enjoy this book may also like O'Neill's other works: The Moth Keeper, the Tea Dragon series, Princess Princess Ever After, Aquicorn Cove, and Dewdrop. Other graphic novels of interest may include The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught, I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner, Leap by Simina Popescu, The Witch Boy series by Molly Knox Ostertag, Navigating with You by Jeremy Whitley, and the graphic novel adaptation of Tamora Pierce's novel First Test by Davin Grayson and Becca Farrow.

While I understand what this story was trying to do, it fell flat for me. The progression seemed a bit disjointed and the overall story just seemed lacking. I really think this would shine if there was more dialogue to aid character development. I'm left with a lot of questions as it feels like an incomplete story to me.
The art isn't enough to save this one for me. It's not an art style that I think helps the story, and isn't a favorite of mine.
Many thanks to Random House Children's and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars!

K O’Neill’s books are always a delight and so gorgeous. Another graphic novel that I wished I could have read as a child as it’s what I needed back then. I am glad children will have books like this to read.

Thank you Random House Children's Graphic and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. Magical illustrations and a great story about perseverance and being who you truly are combine into a delightful read. Looking forward to another great volume.

This book was so beautifully made, from the story to the illustrations, and I will be purchasing a copy for my personal library when it comes out. I love the characters, their relationships, and the way the story encourages acceptance, both toward ourselves and others. O’Neill’s books have never once disappointed me and this was no exception.

K. O’Neill’s graphic novels always have such a magical, mystical, and mythical vibe that feels nostalgic and new all at once. I loved this queer story about the rangers, novices, bards, and their friends. Rowan’s journey was beautiful and having support from someone like Leone while being able to support them at the same time is so special. The art was stunning, as expected. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Imgur graphic scheduled for March 4th (Images on graphic pulled from Amazon free preview)
Blog post goes live March 4th
Amazon and Youtube reviews to come

**TL;DR**: You bet I pre-ordered this as soon as I was done. I adored this.
**Source**: NetGalley and I have pre-ordered my own copy!

**Plot**: Rowan is assigned work with Leone while their winged horse companion heals, and the two couldn’t be more different.
**Characters**: The strength of K. O’Neil to me (besides their art) is the characters they manages to bring to life so well in these panels.
**Setting**: An absolutely beautiful fantasy world with winged horses. I’m never going to say no to horses.
**Fantasy**: Winged horses but no magic. It didn’t need it to be honest, the artwork lent itself to the fantasy feeling.

**Thoughts**:

I wonder if this is an unbiased review. I don’t know K. O’Neil but at this point I have read every single one of their works I can get my hands on and I have loved all of them. This one hit harder than some of the others, I related a lot to Rowan here, so this is going up with Tea Dragons on my K. O’Neil ranking.

Rowan is an apprentice Ranger, who makes a poor decision getting their winged horse companion Kes wounded. While Kes recovers they are assigned an easy task of patrolling the meadows and towns below the Ranger headquarters. They begin to help out Leone, a mellow shepherd who spends their days playing music in the fields. Rowan is a bit of stick in the mud at first but the two become companions and traveling buddies as they do delivers through the area. Along the way Rowan discovers new things, people, and more about themselves.

It’s all lovely. All of it. From the art which had me actually gasping at times, to the story itself which had me tearing up at the end. I love the slow but clear progression of Rowan’s character. Leone as well gets a soft and careful story. The only thing I could nitpick and ask more of would be more of Kes, the winged horse, which seems unfair since they were in almost every other panel. The interactions we got between Kes and Rowan, those few focused moments really pulled on the heartstrings.

I’m so excited to get this physical copy in my hands, I cannot wait to read it and soak up the artwork on the page. 5 amazing stars out of 5. I highly recommend.

A Song for You and I is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about finding your passions, learning to believe in yourself, and the power of friendship. Readers will be captivated by Rowan (Rose) and her journey to become a ranger. She meets Leone early in the book and is immediately drawn to his laid back demeanor and musical talent. Their friendship builds as they work together, completing tasks and encouraging each other to follow their dreams. Absolutely beautiful!

4/5 Stars

Thank you to Random House Graphic and Netgalley for providing me with an arc.

I really adore K O’Neill’s graphic novels. They are always adorable and just a cute time. This one was just as cute as the previous books from them and I had a great time. My only problem was the ending I wish we had seen the main character have a conversation with their mentor about their identity and name. I think it would have been a good addition to this one and would have made it feel more complete. Otherwise this was adorable and I highly recommend it and all of K’s books.

K. O'Neill pretty obviously takes a lot of inspiration from Studio Ghibli-and that's not a bad thing. The scenic colorful panels are reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle and Kiki's Delivery service featuring fluffy clouds and colorful fields of flowers. I could easily see this turned into an animated movie with a bit more filling out. This also feels a little bit about the author themself and their personal journey (of course stories are generally about the author in different ways) but Rose, as a Ranger in training/apprentice, doesn't feel like she can prove much in this last post before the name etching ceremony. She begins feeling suffocated at the thought of etching her name and it staying that way forever while trying to rebuild her confidence in herself as well as her winged mount. Leone, the sheep minder who just plays on their violin all day in the fields seems like a slacker, which irks Rose, however, they both warm up to each other after time spent together doing errands.

This was a sweet story focused on finding your place in the world, introspection, and friendship. Things aren't always easy and I love K. for writing those stories that walk the tightrope of heartfelt without being simple and saccharine. This is a spiritual successor to one of my favorite movies, Kik's Delivery Service.

This book is so precious. I love the art style, the music making, and the name choosing. K O’Neils books carry a magic and whimsy that always makes me smile.

"It feels like a pair of perfectly fine boots that's never fitted me right. Am i supposed to go on tryin' to wear 'em forever?" -A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill

This book is for the gaybies. An asutute Gay might be able to tell from the above quote that this story is a love letter to anyone who has ever questioned the labels the world gave for them. The story doesn't really dive into the nuances of that questioning, but rather sits with the feelings the questioner has. There are so many panels of expressions of our main characters as they simply feel something deeply. The art was so reflective and slow and ponderous. Things resolved very gently and simply in this world of pegasi and rangers and violinists who play to sheep. It was a warm hug and gentle stroll of a book about finding yourself and the pains that come with doing that, but also the unexpected delights. Fans of K. O'Neill will not be disappointed, and newcomers to this author will be pleasantly surprised by the gentle hand O'Neill offers as they guide you through their stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

K O'Neill's Graphic novels are always a delight to experience from the messages in the writing to the beautiful illustrations! A touching novel about being yourself and friendship. Highly recommend!

“It gets a bit tirin trying 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.”

I love everything K.O'Neill writes and illustrates. A Song For You and I is such a lovely graphic novel about self discovery. It was beautifully illustrated. I love it so much. I can't wait to add it to my library. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's | Random House Graphic for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I'll post my review closer to the publication date.

A Song for You and I is a sweet story to self discovery, paired with beautiful artwork to complement the plot and work better than words in some places. Beautiful and heartfelt, another masterpiece by K O’Neill.

K O'Neill writes some of the most charming characters, and some of the most heartwarming stories. I'm a longtime fan of their work, and this is no exception. This is definitely one of my new favorite reads of theirs!

4.25 stars
This was such a sweet story. It follows our main character Rose who is training to become a ranger. After making a bad judgement call and causing her Pegasus to get injured, Rose is assigned to help a local sheep farmer make his wool deliveries.
The artwork of this graphic novel is really beautiful. There are a lot of scenery panels that are just incredibly gorgeous. I would hang them on my wall.
Rose was such a sweet character. At first, she seems happy with her progress in the ranger program. But we see she is really kind of sad about something. Once she writes her name in the dirt, crosses out the "se" and instead writes "Rowan," is becomes obvious she is feeling unsure about her gender. It was never confirmed if Rowan wanted to be a male, or nonbinary, but Rowan wanted to be Rowan and not Rose. Rowan was very nervous about sharing this with anyone, but ends up sharing it with the sheep farmer, Leone. After realizing he completely accepted this and immediately started calling Rowan by their chosen name, Rowan thought that maybe other people might accept it just as easily.
I do wish there had been more words. As a said, there were a lot of scenery panels with no words which were beautiful, but I feel like there could have been a little bit more to the story said in words. The story did come across and was easy to follow though.