Another beautiful and sweet graphic novel from K. O'Neill.
Leaves you with warm fuzzies while imparting lessons.
Yes, there is LGBTQ representation but it's not a focus by any means.

A beautiful and moving story told by one of my favorite authors in the graphic novel game! So much more than just a graphic novel; recommend this to your young readers!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

What a heartwarming story! I have never read any of K. O'neill's other stories, but I'm in love with their art style! It has a soft and whimsical feeling to it, something people who enjoy Ghibli movies would also enjoy. I love the characters, and I love seeing how the animal people reflect some of the traits of their real-life animal counterparts. The world is an interesting blend of magic and reality. The story has lovely messages about finding one's purpose in the larger community, the importance of community as a whole, and figuring out what you want in life. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling the plot. But what a lovely read!

K. O’Neill knocks it our if the park again with their newest graphic novel.
This is a middle grade story about Anya becoming a Moth Keeper and showing her value and perseverance to the community that took her in at a young ago. She protects the moths as they are thriving to help a certain flower bloom. But what happens if the moths go missing?
It is beautifully illustrated, has delightful themes and imagery, and I just loved it. I enjoyed my time reading it and can’t wait to add a copy to my collection.
Every time a new book by O’Neill comes out I jump on the chance to read an early copy and this was no different.
Thank you so much to Oni Press and NetGalley for the early review copy!! All thoughts are my own.

This graphic novel is absolutely stunning! Anya, a member of a tribe of people who live primarily under the light of the moon, takes on the task of being the village's new Moth Keeper. The Moth Keeper is responsible for the care of the moon moths that bless a sacred gift bearing tree once a year. The task is extremely lonely and the book follows Anya as she has a difficult time not being overwhelmed by the darkness.

The art work is gorgeous, the story captivating, and the characters are pleasantly developed. I highly recommend giving this a read!

K O'Neill has once again created such a soft and whimsical story that I just can't help but falling in to. Whenever I want something nice and comforting to read, I can trust to turn to their books so I was so excited to be able to get an ARC of The Moth Keeper.

Anya is a lot like an young person just trying to find their way in the world, taking up new responsibilities. She also feels so alone even though we see her teacher and friends supporting her along the way. There's also a certain kind of melancholy that comes across so well in the writing and the art, and while it's sad, it ends in a peaceful and uplifting way that makes the sad parts worth it.

As always, the diversity in the story is great and just there, not for any kind of points, but because that's what exists in the world, even a fantasy world.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

Cute story of taking care of moths. I initially read it because I know someone who loves moths. I will be getting this for them once it comes out.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

O'Neill's work is always breathtaking. I loved the Tea Dragon Society so much and The Moth Keeper certainly keeps to the standard. The story is so imaginative and unique. The art is phenomenal. I kept looking into Anya's eyes and wondering how on earth O'Neill mastered packing all of the different emotions that you see there into those illustrated eyes. If you enjoy fantasy and graphic novels-this book is for you.

I’m never disappointed with this author’s stories.
A heartfelt tale about a young person doing their best to find their place in the world. This story focuses on self doubt, and burn out. It’s gorgeously illustrated, unsurprisingly, but it also is melancholy in a way none of their other books seem to be. All of their books have this utter stillness that pulls you in and tackles big feelings but this one in particular hit differently. It mentions in the notes at the beginning that quarantine played a big role in the feelings and themes and I definitely see that.
All in all another lovely story.

A lovely story with soft and vibrant art which introduces readers to world where moths must be carefully tended during the night in order to help provide for a village of people dependent on them pollinating a special tree.

A very nice story, well worth picking up and sharing in a children's collection.

This was very sweet, similar in tone to Aquicorn Cove and the Tea Dragon series. If you like K. O’Neill’s other graphic novels for kids, you are sure to enjoy this one as well.

The Moth Keeper is a lovely book, and I adore O’Neill’s art. This is wonderful fantasy for upper elementary and middle grade readers. I’ve already recommended it to my school library.

3.75 stars
A solid middle grade graphic novel read. Anya lives in a nocturnal village that depends on the moon moths keeping a tree strong. She is taking over a new job - to watch over the moths and get them to safety before the sunrises every morning. It is very lonely and she starts to yearn to be a part of the neighboring sun village, where everyone stays up all day and sleeps at night.
While I am not a big video game player, my younger brother played hours of final fantasy when we were kids, and the characters reminded me of that game. The story is sweet and simple, there is some light LGBT rep (the characters aren't entirely human, but two "male" mentors are in a relationship), and the illustrations are beautiful. A soft, soothing story for graphic novel fans.
Ages 8-11

"Magic's a wild thing. It only flows when life is left to exist in its own natural way."

The Moth Keeper focuses on Anya, a small fox-girl who takes over as the primary carer for the moths who have kept the Night Village alive and thriving through the years. It's a solitary and lonely job and Anya realizes quickly that while caring for the moths, she also needs to care for herself.

This was an absolutely wonderful graphic novel! K. O'Neill hit it out of the park again with their art and beautiful story. The Moth Keeper was so much about isolation, mental health, and burnout - as much as it's focus was on a magical pairing of two villages, one who lives in the light and the other who lives in the dark. The ending gave me chills and I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

The Moth Keeper is an easy five stars to give. With beautiful art, a heart-warming story, and a lasting magic, I can see this being a great graphic novel for all ages to read and experience!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Graphics for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

A sweet story that echoes feelings of responsibility and burnout in a way that will be legible to young readers.

I SCREAMED WHEN I GOT APPROVED FLR THIS CAUSE I LOVED THE TEA DRAGON SERIESSS!!! the art style is so beautiful and the story telling is so cute and heartfelt!!!

I deeply enjoyed all the Tea Dragon book so was quick to request this ARC. The comic tells the story of Anya as she takes care of the night moths. This was a lovely story but not as vivid or immersive as the tea dragon society to me. Some of the decisions such as why the moth position was set up as it was or why the day and night societies were separate made no sense to me. I get why some individuals went from day to night, but not why both weren’t more connected. Middle school age readers may be less concerned with this and are likely to be taken in by the world building and the moral of needing support and friends. The art was soft and lovely, and the desert was very well done.

A lovely, luminous, heartwarming story, with gorgeously soft, expressive art and a delicately heartfelt story. Quintessential K. O'Neill - I adore their Tea Dragon books, and The Moth Keeper is perfectly in keeping with what makes those books so great, with a wholesome sweetness that is earnest and earned. Also, I just love moths? And Joshua trees?? And reminders that you can't do everything alone and we can all support each other better and not burn ourselves out trying to be perfect?? So... just a fantastic book all round, really.

K. O'Neill delivers us yet another exquisitely illustrated and hauntingly told graphic novel.

In a fantastical landscape with owl-people and moon moths and cultures intensely tuned into each other and their environments, young Anya wants to be the next moth keeper so that she can finally be sure she's worthy of her place in the village. But she's also consumed with restlessness and wonders if things would be different if she lived in the sun village and lived her life in the daytime instead of in the cool, quiet of the night village. Just when it seems that the desires pulling her in different directions will unravel her precarious life, disaster strikes, and Anya must find it in her herself to help the moon moths -- and a lonely lost spirit -- find their way home.

Filled with complex emotions and themes, the deftness of visual characterization and worldbuilding is simply astonishing. While both the sun and moon villages are built firmly on kindness and interdependency, the storyline doesn't shy away from the realities of depression, trauma, and burn out. The ultimate message of social connection and inherent worth in each individual is deeply comforting in times like these.

If you have read the tea dragon series of books by K. O’Neill, then you have experienced the sort of stories that they write. Full of wit, and beauty, and a quiet sadness. These are world where fox girls keep track of moths, so that their moon village can survive. It is a world where sun villages are whole different places. And it is a world where being the moth keeper is solitary job, where you are alone under a sea of stars, with only your lantern to light the way and guide the moths.

Anya loves being out in the desert, but she wants to be so perfect, that it is eating away at her.

I love seeing into the world that the author has built. I love the care they have taken to build this world, so much so that they based it on the Joshua tree, that can only be pollinated by one particular moth.

The pictures are so fantastic, you almost feel as though you were out in this desert with Anya.
A full five stars.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>