I enjoyed getting sucked into this dreamy colorful art and gentle world with dragons (and super cute tea dragons!? Arguably better than Pokémon) gender fluidity, brown human rep, an underlying love of nature and magic, and ASL drawn in!

Cool, sweet, inclusive, so delightful to get lost in. I hope kids love this. This author has a real imagination and I also appreciate how she fleshes out her world and characters in the forwards and glossary etc so readers can get really into it if they want to,.. (ie identify every type of cute little tea dragon;).

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book! I discovered the Tea Dragon Society just last week, and so happy to read this companion-prequel.The coloring and illustrations are just gorgeous, and I love the attention to detail and adaptation of natural elements. The story is sweet as well--and I love the ASL rep! I wish there had been more even! I want a whole story with the ASL rep and characters, and love that the whole village was trying to learn as well. The bit with the whole "dragons can change gender" bit felt forced in the text, even if I think it fits fine into the story as a whole. That speech bubble just seemed a bit forced and out of the moment. However, overall I really enjoyed this companion, a quick and easy read.

The Tea Dragon Festival is an interesting graphic novel with beautiful illustrations depicting Rinn's magical world. The artwork is breathtaking. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Katie O'Neill, NetGalley, and Oni Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Tea Dragon Festival
Author: Katie O'Neill
Pages:
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is an Advanced Readers Copy. That means that this is not the final version of the book. Therefore, facts and quotes are subject to change in the published book.

Release date: 2/12/2019

The prequel to Tea Dragon society written by Katie O'Neill.

Oh No's
I make it a point that all books should include an oh no section. I feel that there is always something to learn and improve from with every creation. This book is not different but in all honesty, I cannot find fault except that it should be longer.

Yay's
The art is so gorgeous



The diversity in this graphic novel was so easy and fluid. There was a little explanation to the use of sign language in the beginning before the books just dove into this world of normality.

Finally,
My similar recommendation for this novel would be Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill. 

Favorite Panel


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I so loved everything about The Tea Dragon Society and this was an adorable prequel! The characters, art and writing were perfect and I still really want my own tea dragon!

This story introduces us to some new characters as well as some old favorites and I couldn’t have been happier with it!

I highly recommend picking up a copy when it comes out in September. You will not be sorry.

This is a cute continuation of the Tea Dragon Society. When a dragon wakes up far too late (like decades too late), the people of the village must work to figure out why and how they can help this dragon. Very fun read! I would recommend it to anyone who loves dragons!

I’ve loved everything I’ve read from Katie O’Neill so far, and this was, of course, no exception. It was so lovely to return to the world of the tea dragons, and I can’t even describe how pleased I was that, despite mostly following new characters, we get to spend a little more time with (much younger versions of) Erik and Hesekiel. ♥

This was every bit as precious as I thought it would be, and it added in something new: sign language! Some of the characters actually use a mixture of spoken word and American Sign Language when they talk, and there are even ASL resources in the back of the book. It was such a sweet, lovely form of inclusion for Katie to add and just made me love her work that much more.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this book is incredibly beautiful. I think that I have found my favorite art style of all time for graphic novels in Katie O'Neill's books. The story itself is just stunning. It features a non-binary character at the forefront as well as lots of sign language shown throughout.
this is the first graphic novel that I have ever read that made me want to just keep reading about these characters for so much longer. The relationships developed and the world that the story explores is so lovely that i just wish that there were more pages.
Absolutely wonderful and magnificent with an amazing friendship that we are able to see develop.

I fell in love with the first book in this series, The Tea Dragon Society, so I was over the moon to be approved to read the sequel on NetGalley!

More of a companion novel than a direct sequel, The Tea Dragon Festival is set in a tiny mountain village where Rinn, a non-binary forager, finds a sleeping dragon, Aedhan. Aedhan’s been asleep for 80 years, and he has a lot of guilt over the time he’s missed, when he was supposed to be looking after the village, but as preparations for a festival begin, the villagers are happy to help him find his new place. Rinn, too, learns to appreciate their own talents and to find happiness in their life, thanks to the sparks that Aedhan creates in their life and the support of those around them. Hesekiel and Erik, two key characters from the first book, show up, which I loved seeing – they are Rinn’s uncles, and they’re still the same loveable, strong, reliable couple that we came to love. There’s less of a focus on the tea dragons themselves, but this is a fantastic expansion of the world.

The combination of the lush art style and the wholesomeness of the storylines really hits the spot for me, and almost reminds me of the feeling you get when you watch a Studio Ghibli movie. There’s a great attention to the details of the natural world, and the colours are warm and welcoming, and the village life that is depicted makes you want to up sticks immediately. Some of my favourite stories focus on low-stakes magical life in quaint villages, and this is definitely feeding my dream to become a village witch…

As always, the story is quietly and fundamentally inclusive – at the start of the book, you get a little introduction as to how the panels will show characters speaking ASL. We learn in the course of the story that when one of the villagers was born deaf, the whole community learned sign language, and it’s become a simple, everyday part of communication. The villagers comprise many different races and ethnicities, Erik and Hesekiel are a happy and comfortable m/m interspecies couple, and Rinn’s non-binary identity is never anything but accepted. This is such a kind and thoughtful world, and it is an absolute joy to read! It just feels soft and warm and relaxing – it’s a perfect comfort read.

I wish I could frame several pages from this book, just to bring that sense of magical loveliness into my everyday surroundings. Be right back, I’m off to the forest to hunt for mushrooms (and maybe a dragon)… Five out of five stars, of course.

<b><i>"Just because something comes easily to you, does not mean it has no value. You find it effortless because you love it, and that is why it is your gift."</b></i>

A stunning addition to my favourite graphic novel series of all time. It's worth the read for the art alone. It's absolutely S T U N N I N G ✨

The story itself is so beautiful and heartwarming with effortlessly diverse characters. The main character uses they/them pronouns, sign language is used within the story, there's a m/m side romance and lots of people of colour, not to mention genderfluid dragons!

I'd honestly recommend this series to anyone, it's appropriate for people of all ages, including children and is so wholesome I just want to weep with joy every time I read these books. Thank you Katie O'Neill for adding another book to this wonderful series. I hope there's more coming!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley & Oni Press for the review copy!</i>

I received an early review copy in digital format from Netgalley of this book for my honest review. I had not read her previous book The Tea Dragon Society but have read a previous book of O”Neill’s called Aquicorn Cove and wasn’t that impressed overall with that book. I just felt that this book may be different though and it certainly did not disappoint! The illustrations were so colorful, vivid and magical and I absolutely loved it all. The storyline is simplistic but it is one of those feel good books. Now, I definitely need to read the first book! Very highly recommend.

I really loved the art style of this! It was just as beautiful as the first Tea Dragon Society! The story was excellent in this one and I just really love the tea dragon’s so much!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

The Tea Dragon Festival is as adorable and whimsical as The Tea Dragon Society. We have the same drawing style which is charming, colorful, and wonderfully fantastical. The story line is connected through Erik, which is why you can read this without needing to read The Tea Dragon Society first. And The Tea Dragon Festival gives us the opportunity to learn more about the tea dragons. They are as adorable as ever, gentle mannered, but loving affection.

The Tea Dragon Festival is wonderfully inclusive, featuring deaf, nonbinary, POC, and queer characters all over the world. It not only provides a beacon of shining light, warmth, and positivity, but also a story that will charm you on multiple levels. It's about living a life with compassion, using kindness instead of force, finding home and companionship and sharing memories.

I love Katie O'Neill's works. They are super cute and fun to read. This book was no exception. It was beautiful. I love this series and can't wait to read more.

This was just the kind of sweet, comforting read I needed in between some heavy reads. I loved the inclusive characters and the lush, richly-coloured panels and this gently enchanted world of floofy tea dragons and humanoid dragons. And now I want my own Mountain Chamomile Dragon as a pet!

The second Tea Dragons graphic novel is due for release in just over two months, but now is the perfect time to get excited. The artwork in this graphic novel series is hands down the most beautiful and whimsical of any I've ever read before; the colours, the panels, the art style itself are just... *chefs kiss*.

This particular graphic novel is a prequel to the Tea Dragon Society, and although I believe you could read this upcoming release first, I can't stress to you enough how much you'll love the first novel. For anyone hesitant due to funds, or if your library can't get a hold of a copy, you can find the full graphic novel of The Tea Dragon Society on the lovely author, Katie O'Neill's, website!

This is a series filled with so many sweet little lessons and quotes, and while the first novel featured gay, disability, and racial diversity rep, this new installment features so much more. What blew me away from the beginning was how sign language was incorporated into the panels, and how the hard of hearing character was never made to feel isolated or misunderstood. This graphic novel also touched upon the discussion of gender, in such a gentle way that it only added to the story and in getting to know our main character even more. I believe our main character, Rinn, is non-binary and they are just the absolute sweetest and kindest of people.

While we meet new characters in this prequel, we do get to see more of our favourites from the first installment. Erik and Hesekiel are the most magical and caring couple, and it warmed my heart to catch a glimpse of the adventures they got up to. The story of The Tea Dragon Festival will have you hooked from the very first glance - and the very different species of dragon we meet was just as original and exciting as our sweet and spoiled little tea dragons. The Tea Dragon Festival is quite bit longer than the first graphic novel, and you can rest assured that every last word and stunning panel is worth going back to over and over with every read.

I'm over the moon to have discovered this series, and I can't wait to see what Katie O'Neill will come out with next. We'll never know what tea dragon tea tastes like, but the warm and fuzzy feeling these graphic novels give you more than makes up for it!

Characters: ★★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★★
Writing Style: ★★★★★
Artwork: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Intrigue/Enjoyment: ★★★★★

I loved reading this book!
I am a teacher candidate in Ontario right now and I think kids wound adore this book! It is the first time I am reading a graphic novel from the author as I haven't seen The Tea Dragon Society, but I am intrigued!
The art style is very simple but magical, with very lovable and super cute characters. I also loved the fact that the characters speak to each other with sign language as well; I think it's such a brilliant way to be inclusive.

brief summary
The charming world of tea dragons grows in this sweet comic about a town preparing for a festival and a dragon finding a place for himself in the world after nearly a century of slumber.

full review
Katie O'Neill created an irresistible world in The Tea Dragon Society populated with empathetic, diverse characters and adorable tea dragons which seem to be the diminutive form of full-sized dragons. In The Tea Dragon Festival, which acts perfectly well as a stand-alone volume, readers are treated to an expanded view of the world, more breeds of tea dragon, and the introduction of an actual dragon-dragon. It is a very gentle-feeling piece, with its plot unfolding more in vignette-like episodes than a continuous flow, which lends it a sort of dreamlike quality.

Despite the book's brevity and the relative simplicity of its plot (a young gatherer wakes a slumbering dragon and befriends him as her town prepares for a tea festival and she tries to decide what she'd like to do with her life), there are so many details which will bring smiles to readers faces, such as the charming information pages about tea dragons and regular dragons. But where this book really shines is its handling of inclusion and its matter-of-fact portrayal of an incredibly diverse cast. There are numerous instances of this, but I'll only call attention to some of my favorites.

First, there are humanoid dragons, avians, and caprines who all interact with human-seeming beings of many skin tones as if their differences are minor. These characters use ASL (American Sign Language) to communicate pretty frequently because one of the people in the village was born deaf. This is a very interesting and sensible practice, given several members of the community do not have a human speech apparatus. (Of course, they don't all have human hands, either, but whatever. It's a thoughtful device.) In the beginning of the book there's a note demonstrating how ASL is indicated versus vocal speech, and at the end there is an information page about sign language with resources. So, not only does this book promote racial diversity, but it also rejects ableism. There is also a discussion between characters about dragons' shapeshifting abilities, and the fact that dragons can shift among sexes if they so choose, and it's treated as a good and ordinary thing. Hurray for gender positivity!

In addition to depicting positive attitudes toward race, gender, and ability, there is a very positive message conveyed early on by one of the main characters, who is feeling frustrated by her lack of progress in her chosen profession. She is talking with her younger sibling and then declares that moping isn't doing any good, so she might as well be helpful. While this may seem dismissive at face value, I believe it offers disconsolate readers a gentle suggestion to find healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with disappointment.

*Arc provided by Netgalley and the publishers for an honest review*

This book is just so beautiful. Katie O'Neill's art is just so wonderful and the world that she has created is amazing. The diversity of the characters and how she has showcased sign language in this graphic novel is very different and I loved how it was shown.
Reading this makes you just feel happy.

I loved this prequel as much as The Tea Dragon Society. It has O'Neill's familiar bright world, and includes familiar characters Erik and Hesekiel in their younger years, visiting some of Erik's family in the mountains. Rinn is a young person who has a passion and talent for gathering herbs and helping their village. While tea dragons are common in the village, Rinn is surprised to wake a full-sized dragon from an 80-year slumber. The dragon, Aedhan, is also shocked--he didn't know so much time had passed or why, but he was sent to be a guardian of the village. This story is all about friendship and destiny, and it is simply delightful.

**Received advanced copies from NetGalley and from Oni Press at the ALA annual conference