I loved this illustrations and the message!
The creatures were all very great and creative!
Lu and Ren both grow up and communicate eventually and its beautiful and sweet

This is perfect for middle grade and honestly even younger for some. I loved how relatable it was about language differences with family with a serious tone while the entire graphic remained fun throughout.

Possibly a bit niche, or good for older children who are into a certain type of fantasy. I like the idea that the characters are speaking in two languages, as shown in the colors of text. Not my personal taste, as far as the visual style and storyline, so I wanted to scope it out for the library.

Thank you for the ARC.

Some of the artwork was absolutely beautiful and loved the creature illustrations.

Overall this was a cute book with fun creatures. I thought it would be more about the creatures but ended up being more about interpersonal relationships. Some of the chapters/story seemed disjointed and didn't flow.

I read the first few chapters with my kid (almost 5) and they loved the idea of going on adventures and how imaginary the creatures were (inspired them to do their own drawings).

I'm curious how the whole Ren running away from home thing would be resolved, since it wasn't really.

This was such a charming and whimsical graphic novel! It will capture the hears and imagination of adults and children alike.

What an adorable story centered around family and belonging! This would be great to snuggle up with in the winter or to read under a shaded tree on a nice spring day. The art was superb, incorporating animals into geological formations was a unique and adorable touch. The background colors, like in the sky during the jellyfish migration, were simply amazing. I especially love the goofy faces the characters make. I would definitely trade my current life to live in this story and become a geozoologist.

Gorgeous art, girls interested in science, adorable creatures...could not ask for more.

I'll be honest, I read this solely because of the axolotl on the cover. Little did I know, this was everything I would have wanted in a middle grade/YA graphic novel. (I feel like it skews a little younger?) To genre bend the pure fantasy of the fauna acting both as zoological creatures AND geological/geographical land features with the scifi feel of the scientific inquiry of the plot was so smartly done. The coloring really appealed to me aesthetically, too. I wish I could live in Lu and Ren's world.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for the honest review.

This was cute and had a lot of things I really like to see - colorful illustrations, an interesting world, POC characters, an ownvoices author. There is a lot to like here, but this is (I believe) the author's first graphic novel and it does show a bit. While the pages are colorful, the storyboarding is hard to follow in parts, and the worldbuilding could be stronger, especially considering the actual concept of Geozoology is absolutely amazing. A great effort but I am not 100% sure I'd read a sequel.

Beautiful and sweet fantasy graphic novel that is gorgeously illustrated. There are shades of the Tea Dragon series here, but a world and narrative that is much more epic in scale

*Thanks to Net Galley and Quill Tree Books for e-arc*

This was so beautiful! While the audience is for children I believe that anyone that likes cozy fantasy will enjoy this. The created creatures were so cute and I want more stories with them in it. This story made me want to go off on my own adventure and explore nature. I just loved it so much and hope there will be a sequel!

Lu and Ren's Guide to Geozoology is a tour de force, it reminds me a lot of K O'Neil's stuff which for me there is no higher recommendation. The story focuses around Lu and her grandmother, who is a famous geozoologist. Her grandmother tracks these wonderful plant and animal combinations across contients and always comes back with interesting stroies.

Lu has wanted to go with her grandmother since she was little. However after her grandmother doesn't come back for a few years. Lu convinces her mother that she is capable to go look and try and find her grandmother. Lu meet old friend/relative Ren along the way and their story complicates things. Especially after Lu goes to a town where people have a less than stellar opinion of her grandmother.

Lu must search for the truth about her grandmother, and figure out what it means to her and her life. All the while Ren is dealing with their family's expectations of them. Ren and Lu clash over their beliefs on family will they be able to find their way back to each other and learn what happened to Lu's grandmother.

Angela Hsieh is one to watch, this is one of her first graphic novels and it is already showing the style and grace when it comes to art and storytelling not matched except by more established artist. I hope this book does well and would love to see more work from Hsieh.

This was a touching story about a girl and her friend searching for her missing grandmother. It was interesting to see the contrast between how much Lu wanted to be like her family when Ren wanted nothing less.

I could see this becoming a series about Lu and Ren's adventures around the country, becoming true geozoologists.

I love the art style in this. Their shocked faces are especially great. I want to read the other graphic novel the author worked on, solely because she illustrated it.

I liked the guide in the back that described the different animals a bit more, and where their names came from.

I wish there was more on what geozoology is. Probably rock-based animals, because of the name, but I don't think it was ever actually stated.

CW: death of a loved one

What a lovely, whimsical, and heartwarming story! Angela Hsieh does an immaculate job of pulling you into this magical world and making you want to leave this world behind, in a similar vein to Kay O'Neill and Bee Paulsen. Lu and Ren are friends that embark on a journey to find Lu's grandmother, Shan, who is missing. Lu's grandmother is a geozoologist that travels around the world and studies magical creatures, something Lu wishes to do when she is older. While on this journey, Lu and Ren encounter external and internal conflicts in the form of sick animals, a mysterious shift in the ecosystem, angry villagers, the mystery of where Shan is, but also friendship, belonging and identity, and family. Overall it was a spectacular story, beautiful illustrations, heartwarming relationships, and a world to die for.

Initially I chose the book off of the cover and because it was recommended to people who are fans of studio ghibli. (Which I am) Anyway this was a really interesting and fun read. My favorite part of it all was the illustrations and color schemes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ooh, this really is reminiscent of the energy of Tea Dragon Society in terms of coziness, inclusivity, and ecology. I found that the plot was more developed, though. Lu and Ren are each dealing with family problems (though of relatively low stakes, as this is middle grade). The sequential art is really lovely, not just capturing fantastical images in bright, vivid colors, but also capturing motion and emotion. Lovely.

I teared up at the end--the blend of humor, interpersonal conflict, and wonder was spot-on. The discussion of language is beautiful, too. Hseih makes excellent use of the medium. My favorite type of speculative fiction combines imagination with a plot point grounded in reality, so that I get to both experience something new and feel the emotion that accompanies a real conflict. There's one particular pair of images in here that captures the heart of Lu's fears side-by-side with Ren's, and it got me right in the feelings. Absolutely beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this beautiful ARC. I hope this book finds its audience, because it's absolutely gorgeous.

Lu and Ren's Guide to Geozoology is a very sweet graphic novel that has absolutely gorgeous illustrations. If you fell in love with the art of the Tea Dragon Society books, then this one is the perfect next read. I loved all of the different animals that we met like the stone goats.

Thanks to NetGalley, Angela Hsieh, HarperCollins Children's for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own!

Absolutely gorgeous middle grade graphic novel where a geozoologist goes missing and her adventurous granddaughter Lu and bestie Ren set off on an adventure to find her. The travel buddies find new lands to explore, strange animals to help, and even stranger animals to negotiate with using grandma's explorer journal as a guide. It is a beautiful story of friendship, family, grief, and belonging. The animals are so inventive and interesting - those paintings were my favorites in the book. Excellent back matter, including on Angela Hsieh's artistic process.

This is a lovely graphic novel. I was expecting to be charmed by the fantasy flora and fauna, but was surprised at how much I connected emotionally with the story as an adult. Hsieh depicts struggles with parental expectations and grief in a way that is tender and hopeful, and immediately endears the reader to both Ren and Lu. The art reflects this gentle tone, and is full of beauty and warmth. While I did find some of the early pages to be a bit too text heavy, most of the story is well balanced between art and prose. The world Hsieh has created is full of charm and promise, and if we’re lucky, a sequel with more of Ren and Lu’s travels will arrive in the future.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an absolutely wonderful & GORGEOUS graphic novel! Not only were the illustrations stunning, but I was also incredibly engaged by the plot. It was such a sweet story with characters to fall in love with, enchanting & creative world-building, and beautiful artwork. This is definitely one of my new favorite graphic novels!
(& my first official 5 star of the year!!)

Thank you so much to Netgalley & HarperCollin’s Children’s Books for providing me with an arc!

This is a lovely graphic novel, and it's perfectly comp'ed to the Tea Dragon books. It's equal parts meditative and action-packed, and it was a complete joy to read.