One of the things that I loved in book one, that remains true in book two, is the dedication to inclusivity (but it doesn't feel intentional or added in just for 'diversity points').

There are non-binary characters, same-sex couples, people of color, and non-traditional families just like in the first book. There are also a lot of characters who can't (or shouldn't) be identified as a particular race or ethnicity because they're anthropomorphic animals (or dragons, which I suppose count as animals?)

The second book, however, adds a deaf character. In the back of the book, there is even a list of resources for additional information on learning ASL.

There are so many reasons to love this book, but honestly, the best part is that the art style is so sweet and adorable!

The artist truly has a love for color which can't be matched. I've never felt hugged by a color palate before, but reading this book made me feel warm and snuggly inside.

The Tea Dragons returned, of course, and they're just as adorable as before. There is less of a focus on the tea dragons (dracona minor) in this book, however, since the focus is instead on dragons (dracona major) that are shapeshifting, human-dragon hybrids. There's even an about section in the back of the book that explains the differences (that's where the scientific-sounding names come from!)

Overall

The Tea Dragon festival is just as magical and wonderful as the first book and I'm so glad I was able to read it early. I highly recommend it to everyone, but especially if you enjoyed the first book.

With every book of Katie O'Neill's that I read, I love her work more and more. Could there actually be a cuter book in the world? This is absolutely EVERYTHING I hope for in a book and goes way beyond my most outrageous expectations.

-Her artwork is GORGEOUS. Like, absolutely stunning. It's dreamlike and whimsical and I just want to live there.
-There's a slew of diverse characters, but it isn't made out to be a Big Deal, it's just how things work. Rinn, the main character, doesn't have a particular gender and the blurb refers to them with they/them pronouns. They're a really cute character.
-The dragon has an absolutely adorable character design, and I ship him with Rinn, they're way too cute together. (I need a new adjective. How about RIDICULOUSLY ADORABLE???) Rinn's uncle is definitely together with Hesekial, who is a dragon-like creature, so there's a gay couple right there...and kinda inter-species? Which is a little odd, but I guess in a fantasy world it works. ;) And there's lots of sign language in this book! Which is amazing to see in graphic novel format!
-The tea dragons are literally the best thing to ever exist, ever, in any book under the sun.
-The plot is sweet and stress-free and just generally heartwarming.
-I loved Tea Dragon Society SO MUCH and I am SO HAPPY to get a sequel.

This is going down as one of my favorite reads of 2019. I honestly cannot recommend this series/duology enough. It really is something extraordinary.
NetGalley provided me with an advance copy of this book, which I am beyond delighted and grateful for.

You may remember my gushing from the original The Tea Dragon Society and if not please go check it out!  I fell in love with the art style and concept immediately, was overjoyed when a card game was released, and hollered when I found out that there are 2 sets of enamel pins of these adorable critters (on Oni Press' website)!  *Here's hoping I get some for Christmas!*

Well, imagine how excited I was to learn that the author, Katie O'Neill was making a sequel companion!  Wait, a companion?  LOL, don't care as long as there are adorable tea dragons!  And a regular dragon?  Yep, I'm here for him as well!  This books had all the lovably soft art and diverse characters as the first book as well as exploring a bit more of the world that these amazing animals exist in.

This is more of a prequel/companion.  I was hoping for a sequel to see what our two main characters were getting up to, but I liked seeing a bit into the past of the grown-up characters, Erik and Hesekiel.  The wilder tea dragons were also a treat!  Think fluffy sheep chamomile :)  All in all, I came away from this one with all the warm fuzzies I felt from the first.  I can only hope there will be more books set in this world!

Thanks to Oni Press for allowing me to read this early through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Seriously this was the cutest story and graphic novel I've read this year! O'Neill is an amazing artist and storyteller. I absolutely loved the art that went into this story. I loved seeing the world she created and the characters that I fell in love with almost immediately. I also appreciated that she included sign language in her novel, and explained the different text bubbles to distinguish it.

Another thing that I noticed was that the main character Rinn went by pronouns they/them, and everyone was respectful of it and didn't make a big deal about it! I remember a part in it where Rinn asked their new friend about if dragons usually switch forms between male and female, and knowing that they were okay enough with who they are to ask that question, and that their friend was able to understand and answer that yes, dragons do often switch, was just so great to the story. Little moments like that are what I feel is important when showing diversity in the world.

I also loved the personalities of the little tea dragons. Definitely different from our main dragon friend that Rinn meets in the novel. There's this one tea dragon that always has a scowl on its face, and it's the cutest face ever. The villagers have learned how to live peacefully with these dragons (even though they are "pests" sometimes!) and this world was just so magical and wonderful that I would love to visit it again.

I still need to finish the first one (I'll have to find it somewhere in the meantime), and when this one comes out, I want a physical copy for my house. I think everyone should read this. It was such a nice and light story that will make anyone's day.

This was such a lovely and perfect little story. I absolutely adore everything about this story, the art style, the plot, and the characters.

The representation in this book was so freaking wonderful! Wonderfully done!

I loved learning more and more about the world of dragons and tea dragons. I'm so in love with this world.

I hardcore recommend this book to anyone who loves whimsical, lovely, soft stories. Everything by Katie O'Neill is perfect so far.

This comic series is so cute, I'm glad that the author decided to continue making books in this world! The art style is one of my favorites. The story line has conflicts but overall gives off a light, happy feel. If you enjoyed the first one, you should pick up this one. You don't have to read the first to understand this story, but they are both great reads so I recommend them both!

I received this as an ARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for giving me access.

Katie O’Neill has done it again! Such wonderful illustrations accompanied by an adorable story. I’m so happy to be diving back into the world of Tea Dragons! I must say, the Marshmallow Tea Dragon is my spirit animal!

This graphic novel made my heart so happy from the very first page, there might have been tears of happiness. The Tea Dragon Festival includes American Sign Language. That’s right, ASL. I love how O’Neill included ASL into the village and it’s something that the whole village knows, even if it is just for one person. She also includes resources for sign language at the end.

Thank you, Katie, for including ASL and bringing awareness to the hearing impaired community.

It was absolutely amazing to see so much diversity wrapped up in such a cute little package. It was well worth the read and I've fallen in love with the Tea Dragons.

The ilustrations are beautiful, but i think that the story is too short and it is missing something.
I love the fact that the book has sign language!! That is awesome

This is so adorable! I loved this expansion of the world of Tea Dragons. I loved the longer story. The diversity in this book is awesome and so natural feeling.
This story takes place before the events of the Tea Dragon Society when Erik and Hesekiel were younger and visiting Erik's hometown in the mountains. This story follows Erik's niece Rinn and the dragon Aedhan. Rinn finds Aedhan asleep in a house in the woods and upon waking he finds out that he's been asleep for eighty years. While they work together with Erik and Hesekiel to find out the mystery of his enchanted sleep, Rinn helps Aedhan get up to date with the town he is supposed to be protecting.
This story is so much fun. It is so heartwarming and lovely. The art is s amazingly beautiful and fits the story perfectly. I enjoyed this one more than the first book. I felt so much more attached to the story than I did for the first one because it was longer and there was more to the story. I enjoyed this one so much and I really hope that there will be more to come in this fantastic world!

I adored the artwork in this graphic novel, it fit the whimsical and sweet nature of the story perfectly. This is such a gentle kind of a fantasy, and it was fun to get lost in the simple magic of it all. The Tea Dragon Festival is such a lovely change of pace from the typical heavy kinds of fantasy, and I cannot recommend it enough for fans of both fantasy and those that tend to find fantasy daunting. The diverse cast was seamlessly blended into the story, and the addition of ASL was so wonderful. It's hard to find much to say when there is nothing negative to add. When you need something light and fun this should definitely be your next read.

This is such a cute book! I have read The Tea Dragon Society and Aquicorn Cove (both by Katie O'Neill) and adored them both so I was pretty sure I would love this one too and I was right! This book is all about Rinn who lives in Silverleaf Village. As she is out foraging for food in the forest she stumbles upon a rundown shack. Inside the shack she finds Aedhan, a Dragon of the Shining Wing Clan. The rest of the story deals with Aedhan learning about her village and figuring out what's going on. This is such a fantastic book and the color palette is gorgeous. I would highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Katie O'Niell's other books.

The illustrations are beautiful just like the last book. I really enjoy the sweetness of all the characters and how they all work together and all genuinely want to help each other. I did find the storyline to be overly simplistic and it lacked tension leaving it flat. Everything worked out too easy without much effort from the characters.

There was some great character development in the main character as she figures out that her job is needed and appreciated. However, it was it only after the dragon told her he appreciates what she does. I would have like this development more if it was after her actions helped others and not just the opinion of a person.

There are clear descriptions of homosexual relationships and gender fluidity.

This reads like an adult trying to write a children's book.

This book is a mood. Calm, serene, slow moving, lots of positivity and warm colours. Very relaxing, and a charming depiction of sign language. Something for a warm summers evening to read about fantasy community and friendly dragons. What a lovely read.

Thank you to Oni Press and Netgalley for providing me a galley of this lovely book!

I have read all of O'Neill's books, and her art style just blossoms more and more every time. This book especially stood out to me as stunning with the gorgeous wordless panels and the "zoom outs" of the landscapes. Along with the art and worldbuilding, this is a sweet story about what it means to have a home.

A sweet and tender blend of fantasy and folklore with a strong respect and love for nature-- everything I have come to expect and love from O'Neill. Looking forward to more Tea Dragon adventures in the future!

For fans of Mushi Shi and the Hilda graphic novels.

I cannot get over how beautiful the artwork that O'Neill makes is, but even if the art were less appealing, the star rating would still be the same, because the stories themselves are utterly charming as well. I also appreciate how casual the representations are; LGBTQ+, protagonists of color, and in Festival, a Deaf character as well.

The Tea Dragon books are captivating for children and the perfect escapism opportunity for adults. Recommend for absolutely everyone.

I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced reader copy of this graphic novel via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I heard about The Tea Dragon Society through a booktuber named BooksWithChloe so when i was met with a chance to read a continuation of the series, i was very delighted.

The representation in this graphic novel was beautifully represented with the author's amazing cutesy art style that reminds me of the picture books i read as a child.

I vey much the apprecite the inclusion of sign language as it isn't something i see a lot in other graphic novels i read (mainly because i only read manga)

Although i wanted to finished this book ASAP, i was just captivated by the art style and kept zooming in my tablet to see the small minimalistic details in the food, flowers etc..

Overall i enjoyed reading this book a lot!

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for providing me an ARC of this book, in exchange of an honest review.

I had never read anything by Katie O'Neill, but I'm glad I picked up one of her books now. "The Tea Dragon Festival" was adorable and felt like a warm hug after a long day of work.

"The Tea Dragon Festival" was one of the cutest things I have ever read. Besides, it was wonderfully diverse with a nonbinary main character, most of the characters of color and a lovely talk about gender fluidity.

Also, the art was BEAUTIFUL and honestly enchanting. I loved the art style and, most of all, I loved the tones and colours used, it all gave me such a lovely magical and fantastical atmosphere.

It was amazing, a soft story with some great messages, adorable characters and the most beautiful art style ever. I highly reccommend it if you're in need of some cute and diverse graphic novels in your life!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Just like the first book, this story is once again so charming! This time we follow a set of characters in a time a few years before the first book. So it’s kind of a prequel. It also focuses less on the Tea Dragons themselves and more on members of the society and villages that look after Tea Dragons. This story also has a bit more adventure and intrigue to it. I wish it lasted longer haha! The illustrations again were so beautiful! I love the colour pallet used for the festival lights especially! So whimsical and beautiful! I definitely will be getting myself a copy when it comes out.

Absolutely beautiful graphic novel! I adored the fact that sign language was part of the writing/art and appreciate the diversity of the characters. I'm curious about the previous books but this is definitely one we want to add to our lgbt library collection when it is published!