This is a sweet tale done in chapter book form of a missing tea dragon and a little girl who finds new friends...

Oni Press and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published October 31st.

The graphics are magical, some of the characters are creatures instead of people, and there's a lost little girl who is very shy and has memory loss. When the main character returns the tea dragon to its home, she meets the The Tea Dragon Society. At the moment, it only has two members. But that's about to change.

As she learns about the tea dragons, shares their tea and visits the remaining members, she learns a lot, makes a new friend with the shy girl, and even gets to have her own tea dragon. What fun!

If you like stories of appreciating new things in life, becoming friends with unexpected people, and listening to the stories that make them special - this is for you. In less than a hundred pages, Katie develops characters with rich history of their own and takes you on a journey with them. It's whimsical, it's moving, and profoundly simple in its truths.

If I could move into this artwork and build a home I would. These colors are so soothing.
The plot is very warm and uplifting; not too heavy which is paired well with the art style.

I want an entire series made from this book just so I can get more of those gorgeous flowers.

What a pure, wonderful cosy graphic novel I just read!

First of all, if a story about a young blacksmith apprentice, dragons, tea and TEA DRAGONS, does not appeal to you: what are you doing here? I’m kidding, but really, the first time I saw an artwork about tea dragons (I think it was some years ago on tumblr??) I was amazed at the idea, and fell in love with the art style.

The colours are so nice and soft and easy to look at, the light fantasy setting is adorable, the characters lovely and the whole thing is just delightfully atmospheric.

The queer love story isn’t as much the focus as it was in Princess Princess ever after (that I loved!) but was still there, still so very innoncent and precious. I loved the flashback to two older characters life in their youth and how they came to meet, and how one came to be in a wheelchair. This flashback is the only time there is a bit of action, the rest of the story is very calm, day-to-day life. This is a very calming and soothing story, that leaves the reader with a blissful smile. It mostly focuses on not forgetting old ways and traditions, to handing over the reins to a younger generation and above all: love, friendship and respect.

It is very light in world-building, but I enjoyed the little guide about the different tea dragons at the end. I was maybe hoping for a bit more, but the story is aimed at children/young teens and it was all very lovely done.

I’ll definitely keep on following Katie O’Neill’s work because it hits all the right notes for me!

I wasn't able to read and review this graphic novel as my file download refused to work for me, despite multiple attempts! I am hoping to read this graphic novel soon and give my thoughts on it, but for now, this will have to be a placeholder. :( I am giving the rating 5 stars to give this book the benefit of the doubt until I get the chance to read it.

I find I can't really give an objective review of this title as I found the graphic art to be unappealing to me and distracting. The colors used for the illustrations, I believe must have been used to convey a gentleness to the story, were also a problem for me.

When she finds an injured tea dragon in the marketplace, young Greta - who is a blacksmith's apprentice - returns the magical creature to its owner and learns the nearly forgotten art of crafting tea from the delicate leaves growing from the tea dragon's bodies.

I found this to be the most refreshing fantasy comic I have read in a long time. The story Greta through 4 seasons as she meets Minette; a seer who has lost her memory, Hesekiel; one of the last remaining tea masters, and his partner Erik; a former adventurer who is now a paraplegic.

There are no grand adventures, no epic battles; just a little girl who finds a dragon and makes some friends. A delightfully progressive slice of life story with simple and beautiful art, about the only thing I can legitimately complain about is there isn't enough of this. If this was a webcomic or a series, I would be reading it all the time. It's very rare for me to find something so lighthearted yet well done and I find it perfect. 5 out of 5.

This a beautiful, soulful book. It's a great read for kids who enjoy fantasy, manga, and Pokemon, though it's a much slower story and won't appeal to Pokemon readers across the board. The art and world explored are simply enchanting, I want to wrap myself up in it the way my fingers curl around a hot cup of tea. In addition to a sweet story and engrossing characters delivered with an even hand, I was impressed by the variety of physical types in the book, there were no easy visual stereotypes. I can't wait to spend more time in this world and to read it again and again.

The art work of this was absolutely stunning. It was such a visual pleasure that I felt myself melting into the book. This was helped by a beautiful and easy going story.
Greta was such a charming little girl and I love how easy she found it to make friends with all different types of people. She, as a character, just made me feel so happy.

I also really loved that the ''traditional steryotypical'' traits were reversed in not only her parents, but within the friends she made too (Hese and Erik). The mother is more masuline, stronger built and does black smith work which she prides herself in and loves sharing the skill with Greta, whilst the father sells things such as tea (as well as his wife's creations, and is very slight and feminine in comparison to his wife.

This story had really good morals and I loved how naturally it banished steryotyping.
It was amazing in exploring the diversity of the characters, including the able bodied and disabled, mixed races, the dismisal of gender steryotyping and sexuality. I think it was done in a tactful and tasteful way for younger readers and I would love to read this to my children if I had any.

I really just want more from this world. It was pretty fast to read but I think it will have a lasting impression on me! This was so cute. I loved that we had ''extracts from the tea dragon handbook''. It gave the story some extra context and was just a fun little extra portion to have.

The writing was a bit squished in some places and I always mention that I had to read this on my PC because my tablet wouldn't view this, meaning it was slightly more awkward to read and unforunately will expire.

I want a fire brick creature and a tea dragon so much. I want to live in this world so badly. It's so easy going, gentle and kind.

I'd recommend this to anyone and everyone. It is such an endearing, thoughful little story.

This was such a cute, magical little graphic novel! I really loved it. Tea dragons are little dragons whose horns store the memories of their time together with their owners, whom they love very much. Those horns grow tea leaves, which can be cut off and brewed into very high quality tea. When a person drinks this tea, they receive a vision of a memory of that tea dragon’s owner. Greta is a blacksmith and finds a lost tea dragon wandering through the market. When she returns this tea dragon to its owner she is offered the opportunity to learn the art of raising tea dragons and brewing their tea. She makes three new friends and they form a loving bond as their raise their tea dragons together. When Greta drinks some of the tea we get to see how the group formed and learn more about the pasts of these characters.

The story is divided up into four chapters: one for each season of the year. It’s is simple, but very sweet and great for all ages. It felt like a warm blanket. And the illustrations are to die for. The colors are beautiful, and everything is so cute! I’ve clipped a few of my favorite illustrations so you can see what I mean. The dragons are particularly adorable, and they are all named after common teas: Jasmine, Chamomile, Roobios, etc.

All in all, I don’t have one complaint! This graphic novel was a joy to read. I loved the magical storytelling, unique story elements, the sweet characters, the adorable little tea dragons, and the moral of the story, which is to surround yourself with people you love and to cultivate the talents you’re passionate about. I would most definitely recommend this to readers of all ages who are looking for beautiful illustrations and a timeless, sweet, and light feel-good story.

Greta is learning to be a blacksmith like her mother. It is a dying art. Her mother reminds her what is important about blacksmithing. She reminds Greta that it is a dying art. Greta's mother is proud of her daughter's bonding at a young age with Brick (a soot spite?). On th way home from the market, Greta see two dogs attacking a small being. When she realizes that it's because the dogs are hungry, she gives them the meat for her family's dinner and brings home the small creature. Greta finds out that it is a tea dragon. Her parents tell her to take it to the Hesekiel, the owner who also has a tea shop. On her way to the tea owner, she meets a Minette with a tea dragon. Arriving at the tea shop, she meets Hesekiel and his wheelchair-using partner, Erik. She discovers that he owns several tea dragons. She learns about tea dragons. How do tea dragons "make" tea? She is invited to learn about the care of tea dragons and making tea.

The author has written and illustrated a delightful, charming graphic novel. This story is more than just about learning dying arts (tea dragons too). It is about friendships, Greta learns about the value of a craft. There is in the story a variety of different characters with different colors which makes me think that the author is showing that it doesn't matter what you are but that one can learn from everyone and be friends. It also reminded me that whatever craft or hobby you have learned that it will improve your life. As I read this story, I felt joy as it is so enchanting and sweet. Don't miss out reading this!

Whatever kind of creature Brick is, I want one <3

AH, my only complaint was that it was too short! Beautiful story about companionship and the art of creating and sharing memories. I loved the world building but it felt like a lot of investment to not go into more depth with the characters.

The representation in this book is what I want every book to be like. Characters who appear female/male are not confined by femininity/masculinity. It is really such a basic concept - thank you O'Neill!

As a lover of dragons, tea, and graphic novels, The Tea Dragon Society caught my eye with a charming cover and an interesting premise.

Greta, our main character, is being taught to be a blacksmith by her mother. She loves to do this, realizing how important and beautiful the objects her mother makes are, even if they're not totally useful. Swords, for example, are not in much use anymore but they're still an important project for a blacksmith and the process by which they are made must be passed down before it is forgotten.

One day Greta stumbles across a lost tea dragon. When returning it to its family, Greta is introduced to dragon tea and the caretakers of the dragons. Hesekial, the bonded owner of Jasmine the lost tea dragon, becomes a new mentor to Greta as she expresses interest in finding out more about the dragons and the tea they produce. Through him, she meets a diverse cast of characters, from Hesekial and his partner Erik to Minette, a ward of the Tea Dragon Society on whom it looks like Greta has a crush.

I loved seeing all the people play out on the page and how it's all fantastical, from the dragons to the creature that is Hesekial, but it's also ordinary. Nothing is a big deal, like Erik and his wheelchair, the different races that make up Greta's hometown. It's a loving environment that makes everyone comfortable.

The art is a display of Katie O'Neill's talent. The light colors evoke happiness and the style of her characters, both humanoid and not, has a soft edge that doesn't fail to make me smile.

What makes me rate this four stars instead of five is that the story itself felt cut short, like something was missing. For being called The Tea Dragon Society, we sure don't hear too many details about this amazing creatures. Most of the stuff I did find out, like the different types, what tea they make, etc., was learned in an appendix to the book. Not having that incorporated organically into the story made me feel like this was a sampler rather than a full-on completed work. At this time it doesn't look like there is more to Greta's story than what's on the page, not even in the web comic that this started out as. I hope there will be because this is a rich world full of magical creatures and fulfilling relationships that could be told.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Greta is a goblin learning to become a blacksmith from her mother. While walking home one day, Greta discovers a tea dragon. When she returns the dragon to its owners, they offer to teach her how to take care of tea dragons. Greta grows close to Hesekiel, Eric, Minette, and their dragons.

Katie O'Neill has created a beautiful world in this book, and the story can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I liked that in the epilogue, she included a Tea Dragon Handbook with notes on how to take care of tea dragons, how to harvest their tea, and some varieties of tea dragons.

This is an outstanding way to introduce the concept of cultural retention to students, as well as display a meaningful and productive introduction between diverse peoples. I really enjoyed the use of different fantasy races as the author's method of doing this. Seems to be the safest and yet clearest way to deliver potentially controversial material.

I absolutely adore this story. The art work is beautiful, I love the world Katie O'Neill created & I really want a tea dragon! This would definitely be a recommendation for everyone who is having a bad day or needs a pick me up. So stinking cute & I hope there will be a sequel (or another story written in this world).

The artwork is absolutely stunning – three stars for that. Unfortunately the story is bit disappointing – no conflict, no surprises. The LGBT romance is cute though. I'd read another of Katie O'Neill's, just for the gorgeous artwork.

This story is loving, warm, whimsical and adorable. Greta is the young child of a blacksmith and learning her mother's craft when she comes across a small tea dragon. In this story, tea dragons are small, adorable creatures that sprout leaves and berries from their backs, which their caretakers harvest to make tea. When she returns the found dragon to the owner, he invites her to learn about tea dragon husbandry. The themes of slow living, friendship, and tradition are central to the story. Physical disability, memory loss, and same-sex relationships are represented well. The color palettes are soft and beautiful; there is something visually interesting on every page. Children will enjoy this story in which the young characters have their own responsibilities and are treated with respect.

Greta is the apprentice to her blacksmith mother in a land where its people are diverse and accepted no matter their gender, sexuality, skin tone, physical, emotional or magical skills. Greta is not sure she is following the right future in the forge, but when she stumbles upon a lost tea dragon and returns it to its caregivers at the local teahouse, she begins to understand her destiny better. The optimistic and inspiring tone of this short book is lightly conveyed, with the stunning illustrations conveying much of the unique and soothing message of the tale. The fascinating tea dragons ultimately dominate the story, with a wonderful guide at the back to different species. There are obvious hints of sequels to come, and much back story still to learn, but this book truly deserves the support to make that happen.