This was a very sweet and wholesome adventure story. Full of bright and fun illustrations, cozy magic and queer characters, I can see this finding its way into many favorites shelves. For me, I most appreciated the illustration style- I found the artwork absolutely adorable, and the character designs were super fun (I will say I struggled with the rules of the world, as the difference in design between mortals and non-mortals was almost nonexistent). I also would have loved to get a bit more of an understanding for how the magic worked, and if this volume could become a series I think that is definitely something that could be explored more; as it is right now, the magic sort of came out of nowhere for me but was fun nonetheless. My final comment on the story is more of a personal peeve, but I don't understand where the romance came from. I feel like more stories deserve queer platonic friendships and if it does evolve into something romantic, I would much rather see that grow and develop on the page rather than BOOM! They're kissing now! It just felt abrupt and out of the blue. In the end, though, most of my criticisms while reading were very personal and nitpicking, and this graphic novel is a lovely debut and I look forward to seeing how this artist and author develops in the coming years, as it is clear they're extremely talented already.

I want to start by saying ,I am not the target audience for this book. However it was so cute. The art style is whimsical and the non binary representation made me wish I was a kid.

I would recommend this to younger kids or parents. This is such a wholesome read!

This graphic novel follows two friends on a journey to find a special glowing mushroom for a baking recipe. Along the way they get entangled in some side missions in a nearby town and begin to discover that maybe they like each other as more than just friends.

I appreciated the tone of this story. It was very cozy and slow-paced. The art was cute, though not very detailed, which I didn't mind. There was not a lot of text as the illustrations moved along much of the story. I also really liked the queer rep. One of the main characters is non-binary and learns to accept themselves more on their journey. There are also a couple of sapphic side characters.

I would have liked the graphic novel to be longer though. I felt that the story was a bit rushed and I would have appreciated more time to see the characters develop. Maybe there will be a second volume. The ending was wrapped up, but it was left open for another I think.

For fans of The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O'Neill and Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen. The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught delivered a thrilling, but heartwarming, adventure with a wide variety of representation with the characters. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a beautifully illustrated, feel good, adventure with characters you'll love! This book was received via NetGalley.

This graphic devil is the epitome of cute and cozy. It's a queer fantasy with a little adventure element and honestly just a very wholesome read.

This graphic novel was very sweet and written well for a younger age group.

It was not one that grabbed my attention, and didn't keep my interest well, but I believe it will be a fabulous read for students!

The baker and the Bard is the sweet cup of tea that you need all the after a long day this delightful graphic novel made me giggle and smile in a way that I need it deeply. The characters are well thought out and really made me want to continue reading I would love to see more in this world and get to meet the characters again.

This book is really cozy reminded me of tea dragon society and the moth keeper. I love the art style and it was a cute story . Perfect for an autumn evening with a cup of coffee

The Baker and the Bard is an incredibly cute younger audience adventure. There are low stakes and inventive characters with a sweet and colorful art style. This was a quick read for me but very enjoyable as it had very strong DND adventure vibes which I loved. This would be a great read along for a younger audience

Trigger Warnings: snake, coming out

Representation: They/them pronouns, Nonbinary

The Baker and the Bard is a cozy fantasy adventure in the form of a graphic novel in which two best friends set out on a journey for ingredients to fulfill an unusual bakery order and get caught up in matters of ecological destruction in the realm of the fey.

Very cute and very short story. There isn’t much to the plot but a great quick read for anyone into fantasy!

I would definitely recommend this for fans of the Tea Dragon Society. Magic, self discovery, acceptance, and just a sprinkle of lgbtq-ness.

Cute, wholesome, cozy, sweet, overtly queer, with some low-stakes adventure. Good for kids or adults who like fantasy but are more interested in an adventure to another world than a heavy plot.

This isn't a particularly long graphic novel, and quite a few pages are one scene, sometimes with no dialogue. This gives the book a very laid-back pace. I think the dialogue could be a little stronger, but this is an excellent debut. Very interested to see what Fern Hadley writes next.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Feiwel & Friends for early access!

I got an ARC of this book.

It wasn't a bad book. It wasn't amazing though. The art was often lacking around facial features. The characters didn't really grow or hook me. The romance felt thrown on. It is ok for queer people to be friends without having to push for physical things out of nowhere. Queer friendships matter.

The plot was cute, but very linear and basic. There was nothing deeper. No real big emotions. It just felt like there was a lot more that could have happened. It was cute, but being compared to the Tea Dragon Books means I have high standards.

This was such a cute read! I found it to be very fun and fresh. The artstyle was also right up my alley, which made it even more fun to read. I would marvel at the drawings for a while before moving on. Can definitely recommend!

The definition of cozy fantasy! From the simplistic artwork to the love able LGBTQ+ characters. It's also a beautiful story of accepting being non-binary (well not accepting gender norms of course), but who expects the fae world to have only 2 genders???? I hope to see more from this author and this lovely world.

This was such an adorable cozy fantasy! This is perfect for the genre; low-stakes, and yet manages to suck you in! I loved the beautiful nature scenes and the queer characters, as well as the amazing creatures and faeries! This is a perfect addition to the emerging cozy fantasy genre and I will definitely be recommending this is released.

The Baker and the Bard tells the story of a baker and her friend setting off to find a rare ingredient for an extra large bakery order.

This was cute but that’s all it was. The story and the characters felt half baked and everything was glossed over and felt very superficial. Even the romance seemed unnecessary and superfluous. This graphic novel so very lightly it flit over every single thing that it felt rushed rather than cozy.

However, the representation was lovely and the art was very pleasing and I do really want to eat the mushroom galette. I would highly recommend this to parents wanting to transition their toddlers out of children's picture books.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A quick and delightful cozy fantasy in which the art style is vibrant and welcoming for all readers. The Baker and the Bard takes the reader on a journey alongside Juniper and Hadley as they explore for mushrooms to make a recipe from a large and bulk request at their bakery and encounters a mystery along the way. With that said, having a story less than 200 pages can sacrifice elaboration on a well-constructed backdrop on gender expression and inclusion (e.g. side LGBTQ+ characters, more queer inclusivity in town culture, etc.) as well as an expansive setting filled with many types of creatures and its relationships and politics with each other. Regardless, I highly enjoyed myself getting sucked in this charming queer graphic novel.

This graphic was so short! I was hoping there would be more stories with the characters after the first one, but maybe those will be coming in the future!
I really like the art style in this graphic! The colors are soft and the characters are so kind to each other!
I love the little snake, Fern! Such a great little quick read! I hope we will see more of these characters in the future!

This was a beautifully drawn and creatively engaging story. Well done with the plot, the fantasy aspect, the representation, and the adorable details. This book will be featured on an upcoming episode of Your Rainbow Reads podcast.