Such a cute graphic novel! O'Neill once again gave us such a cute book and with a universal powerful message behind it. As someone currently struggling with burnout, it was so important for me to see young Anya learning to ask for help from her village instead of struggling through it alone. Would highly recommend this one!

Today is my stop on @tbrbeyondtours’ bookstagram tour for The Moth Keeper, the latest graphic novel release from @strangelykatie! I personally have been following Kay O’Neill’s work eagerly across their different series, so when I got the chance to read their newest book early I was excited beyond belief!

The Moth Keeper exists in a similar vein to Kay O’Neill’s previous works, in that the gentle world and beautiful art persist through this story in the same way they did in The Tea Dragon Society. This book was its own distinct adventure from any of their previous writing, set in a nocturnal desert world. The nocturnal setting provided the perfect canvas for a world teaming with light and life. The world design and storytelling in The Moth Keeper was inspiring, and set this book apart as one of my favorite graphic novels!

I was genuinely shocked with the depth from this middle grade novel. This genre continues to surprise me. Truly well done, thoughtfully written, and absolutely gorgeous! Cannot recommend enough.

Are we always drawn to that which scares us the most? That's one of the questions explored here, as young Anya tries to become the light in the dark she needed as a little girl. Anya is a resident of the night village, and she takes on the role of Moth Keeper, guardian of the sacred moths that help to keep the village alive and functioning. She's eager to try, but gradually her childhood fears of the dark take a toll on her, forcing a quiet reckoning within herself. As always, O'Neill deftly blends symbolism with gentle fantasy, and Anya's story is one about learning to acknowledge what scares you. You don't have to push through it, but you do have to understand that it exists.

At this point I will pick up pretty much anything Kay O'Neill writes as I love their whimsical art style and the worlds they create - this story was no different. I loved that this one had a different feel and color palette than previous works, which gave it more of a dreamlike feel. I did find myself wanting a little more background on some of the characters, especially Anya, but the story still felt complete without more detail.

As always I really enjoyed the representation, diversity and lessons that are woven into the story. I appreciated that when mistakes were make, even bad ones, there was support rather than outright anger or blame. It was not only a fantasy story, but commentary on responsibility and community, which I loved to see.

This is a soft, dreamy story with lots of themes to contemplate and the room needed to do so. In the story, we have a desert village whose people are nocturnal; they live their lives at night and have developed a culture and spirituality that reflects this, including taking care of the moon moths. The moths are needed to spread pollen from a sacred flower tree that blooms only one day a year, but whose pollen is necessary to the ecosystem. A keeper is needed to make sure the moths don't get lost, but few people are suited to the job, because it requires one to be away from home all night, away from home, family, and friends. As the tale begins, Anya has just become a moth keeper, and the solitude of her nights leaves her with a lot of time to ponder her life and world. She deals with abandonment, feeling like she doesn't fit in, fear of the night, and wondering what it would be like to live during the day, in the light. She makes a mistake due to taking on too much on her own; will she be able to to make things right, and will she learn to ask for help?
There's a strong theme of community running through this story, of the interconnectedness of life, and how we each play our part. There is a melancholic vibe here - Anya's dealing with some trauma (parental abandonment amongst other things) that isn't easy to work through - but there's also hope and love and joy. Plus, there's gorgeous art that sets the mood so well, and tells the story in the parts where words aren't needed. Just such a lovely book!

#TheMothKeeper #NetGalley

This book is super cute. The art is pretty and the story moves fast. It’s an easy read and the fantasy world is a breeze to navigate. I like it a lot!

K. O'Neill has done it yet again! They are my favorite middle grade author. The Moth Keeper is an adorable graphic novel about Anya who is the new moth keeper. It is a very important job in her village. She has to protect the lunar moths that help the Night-Lily bloom once a year and they collect the pollen. It may be an important job but it is a lonely job. The moths are far and she must make the venture at night leading to her feeling isolated. When thoughts about living in the sun come up and Anya is obsessed with the idea. She decided to stay awake and see how it is in the day time. This decision has great affect on the Lunar Moths and the night village.

I love that O'Neill always included LGBTQ+ rep in her novels, amazing art work, and has a clear meaning to the story. They take real world topics and break them down in a digestible way for a younger generation. I also really enjoy they put a blurb in the back about the inspiration for the novel and the history behind it.

Probably between 3.5 and 4 stars. This was a cozy fantasy about a nocturnal civilization. The art was comforting and beautiful and the story had a very soothing and meandering feel.

I've been a longtime fan of K. O'Neill's graphic novels, beginning with the heartwarming pastoral of The Tea Dragon Society. THE MOTH KEEPER is similarly beautiful and sensitive to the struggles of its characters and the role of community in our lives. Before I can even touch on the story or characters, I have to emphasize what a brilliant visual storyteller and artist O'Neill is. So much of this story takes place at night and O'Neill shows us all the calm and stunning hues of the evening, lit up by the glow of a billion stars. Dawn and dusk have similarly gorgeous color palettes as O'Neill seamlessly shows the passage of time through color and light, often giving us time to sit and contemplate the world they've created alongside the characters who find themselves alone in the desert for long stretches of time to reflect.

Our characters live in a night village, where everyone is nocturnal and with the blessing of the Moon-Spirit giving them the moon moths, which allow them to survive with plants that grow at night and the larvae that live underground. When our main character, Anya, takes the oath of the Moth Keeper, she becomes an apprentice who sacrifices her part *in* the community in order to shepherd the moon moths across the desert at night, protecting everyone's way of life in the village. It's the moth keeper's duty to spend most of their waking hours alone, while the rest of their village is built on communal living—one that Anya is determined to take on in order to feel needed after growing up on the outskirts of her community and family. But ultimately, this is a story about burnout and the role of community in taking care of one another as loneliness and responsibility for everyone in her village rests on her shoulders.

This book was so TENDER! Gosh, I couldn't have loved it more and it's clear to me that K. O'Neill can do no wrong when it comes to sweet, thoughtful stories and character depth. The art was, of course, lovely, but the dialogue really stood out for me. The story was rich with life lessons and it was cozy, gentle, and kind. Couldn't recommend more for a quick read when you need some comfort. 5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

i just am always completely in love with k o’neil’s characters, worlds, and themes. they create stories that are such a gift to our world, and this newest graphic novel will probably resonate with so many people who are reading this review, because the central theme is all about burn out and not realizing when you need a break and when you need some help, too. we are all so small in the grand scheme of things, and it's so easy for things to feel overwhelming, especially these last few years, and especially in a pandemic that is still going on. but our value as creators and, more importantly, humans, will never ever be dependent on how much we produce.

this is also a very heartfelt tale about community, and the things we can achieve when we are kind and offer help to people – and how that kindness and help can go such a long way and have the most beautiful healing rippling effect to so many. but this also touches on how hard it can be to ask for help, when you have been turned away from it by people who are supposed to be there for you. but also, in turn, how unconditional love + friendship can be the most powerful force in all the world.

ah, this is just perfection. i wish i could put this story in the hands of everyone, but especially every child. i immediately finished the arc, and purchased a physical for my own personal library (which surprisingly had the most beautiful art under the dustjacket). i think this will for sure make my best of 2023 come december. truly, a gift to this universe in all ways.

trigger + content warnings: mention of loss of a loved one, parental neglect + abandonment

The Moth Keeper is a book I kept hearing about. The artwork looks beautiful and the story sounds fun to me. I downloaded the book and started to read it but then life happened and I unfortunately never got to finish reading it. In the future, I'm hoping to buy a copy of The Moth Keeper and finally to get enjoy it.

Will be recommending this graphic novel, I enjoyed the idea of the night village and the moth keepers. Also the illustrations were so nice!

A warm-hearted look at family, friendships, and responsibility. The artwork is simply stunning, and the story engrossing. This should be a treat for fans of Studio Ghibli.

The artwork is lovely, and the plot, with its focus on inclusivity and community, makes for a sweet tale. There's not a lot of action to the plot, given it's more focused on the emotions of the characters and the way they interact. I did find it a bit odd that the main conflict happens with roughly 40 pages left to the end, but it made for a nice read. I would recommend reading it in print, however; I reviewed the digital version and some of the double page panels get chopped in half, which while understandable given the format does the artwork a disservice.

This was a beautiful book about found family, friendship, responsibility, community, and independence. The art is slightly different color tones that the artist’s previous works but for this title the darker tones (perhaps inspired by pandemic isolation) ring true. You still have the magic and playfulness that came through in previous pastel works especially with the setting and movement of Anya (a fox/human) and the moths themselves. Also appreciated is the use of pages and spreads without words to encourage the reader to truly “read” the art. Give this to fans of O’Neill’s works, Studio Ghibli, 5 Worlds, and Sorceline by Douye.

Being a moth keeper means having the fate of the whole Night village on your shoulders. Knowing this, Anya takes the oath anyway and sets about training to become the next moth keeper. She is responsible with guiding the moths out of their home, made from a covered tree stump, but getting them back in by sunrise. The moths then pollinate the most important tree in the village, which will also induce a multitude of other desert plants to grow and sprout flowers. One night, Anya decides she isn’t satisfied with just knowing what life is like in the Night village. She visits the villages of creatures who thrive in daylight. Her exhaustion the next night leads to the moths flying away from her sight, and it's up to her and the power of other moon creatures to get the moths back before the tree withers from lack of pollination.
This is fairly powerful stuff for a middle grade novel. O’Neill touches upon themes of acceptance and depression, as well as self-worth and belonging. Anya struggles with many of these things a and hopes her position will bring some purpose to her life, but in the end, friends and family help her find her sense of purpose. Also of importance is the need to contribute to the greater good, which Anya does find eventually, but with this, O'Neill reminds readers to find a place for themselves in their societies as well. With these illustrations, O'Neill takes a bit of a rougher approach to outlining, but the story's deeper themes need a little grittier touch. The coloring is just as beautiful as O’Neill's previous works, so fans of The Tea Dragon Society have another meaningful, gorgeous story to add to their shelves.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 5-9

Such a lovely story about community, belonging and at the same time not fitting in the way you're "supposed" to. It's a coming of age story with absolutely beautiful artwork and a lot of heart.

The Moon-Spirits were a village that became nocturnal in order to care for the Moon-Moths. The villagers have adapted their lives into living completely nocturnal lives, so they need the flower to survive. The villagers shared traditions, myths, and magic. Anya became a substitute moth keeper, while the present keeper decided to see the sun. Anya was required to protect the lunar moths. who encourages the Night-Lily to bloom on a yearly basis. Anya was required to protect the lunar moths who encourage the Night-Lily to bloom on a yearly basis. Later, Anya also wondered what it would be like in the sun.

The Moth Keeper is a Middle Grade graphic novel. I became immersed into the world created by K.O’Neil and I could have stayed and explored this world. The story was filled with warmth and love through a family.I highly recommend it to any age reader.
Thank you K.O’Neill, RH Graphics, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the graphic novel in return for an honest review.