This is a delightful graphic novel. It’s classified as YA but I think would be appropriate for middle audiences as well.

Our two main characters are Juniper and Hadley, who are from a magical world. They both are young workers at Mira’s Bakery— June is an aspiring baker and Hadley is an aspiring bard who performs at the bakery. When a mysterious customer requests a large last minute order, they beg their boss Mira to let them go into the forest to collect the glowing mushrooms that the recipe requires. Along the way, impulsive Hadley convinces gentle Juniper to help solve a mystery in a passing town. They end up with magical friends that they could have never imagined!

With a sweet and simple plot and beautifully magical illustrations, this graphic novel is perfect for anyone who wants a quick escape into a fantasy world. It is wonderfully queer, as Hadley is non-binary and there is a little romance between the two characters.

What an absolutely adorable graphic novel to enter into the cozy fantasy canon, and aimed at younger audiences who are on a gender journey, without a hint of patronization.

Juniper and Hadley are best friends who work in a bakery, with dreams of something bigger. Going on adventures! Opening their own bakery! They get the chance when their shop owner sends them to the next town over to pick up some glowing mushrooms. Once there, in true D&D style, they meet some villagers in need of help, and set out to find out who's been eating all the crops. They don't find an enemy, though; they find a fae who's just taking care of her caterpillar friends. They all work together to solve the mystery while making sure everyone's needs are met.

Fern Haught's art is so warm and soft and inviting, colors layered and enchanting — I found the full-page art to be just as moving as the story itself. If you liked Legends and Lattes and know a younger person who might also like it, if they were a little older, give them this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this graphic novel and provide an honest review.

The Baker and the Bard was a phenomenal story about friendship and acceptance. It was easily digestible and suitable for all ages. The art style was very unique and gave the story an extra layer of fantasy feels. This is a good story for the younger group of graphic novel readers. it has themes of gender acceptance, compassion, togetherness, and perseverance. Thank you NetGalley!

The simple but evocative illustrations in this graphic novel, as well as the straightforward but sweet story made this a breezy read for me. I liked a lot about it--it was cozy, it was fantasy. It felt "low stress," like I'd give this to a student of mine who was having a bad day and needed some quiet easy reading time. I appreciated the discussion of gender in this as well (though how well it fit into the story is a bit debatable, for me. I felt it could have been more naturally integrated), and the diversity of characters was a breath of fresh air.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

A cute and cozy children's fantasy story about two friends who go on their first big adventure together to gather rare ingredients for a special order at the bakery. While on their quest they end up helping a town solve another mystery, make some new friends, and find out that maybe 'friends' isn't quite the right word for what they are to each other. The art fits the cozy vibe perfectly, I love the color palette used.

I would have liked more description of how the magic works, but being a kids book, it's fine that it just 'works'. Would love to see this become a series.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced review copy, all opinions are my own.

The art in this graphic novel was cute but the facial expressions fell flat and the characters felt emotionless. Some of the panels felt empty.

The story was pretty simple and the ‘conflict’ was resolved almost instantaneously. The dialogue didn’t seem to fit the characters or what was happening on the page in many scenes.

I received this book as a free ARC from the publisher for an honest review. Thank you.

This was so cute and cozy and whimsical. I love the simplistic yet effective illustration. The story was perfect for my DnD heart. I can’t wait to make my little sister read it as I try to get her to join my campaign.

Ummmm this was seriously the sweetest and coziest graphic novel ever!!!🐛🦋🍪

I started reading this the second I received the notification I was approved for the ARC. This book gives the vibes of other cozy graphic novels (think garlic and the vampire or the tea dragon society) and think it will be a favorite of many.

I loved the main characters and their personalities both shown through so well even in a short story. I especially liked Thistle and would love another book with them and their butterfly crew! Thistle and Hadley’s conversation by the fireside about gender and being non-binary was super natural and amazing to see in a fantasy graphic novel.

Also….the artwork is BEAUTIFUL!!! Really looking forward to having a physical copy and showing my students! Amazing debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC💙

Super cute, queer, and lovely art! Super cozy story about a baker and a bard who go on a quest together! I really enjoyed watching the two of them together and how sweet they both were! Definitely recommend!

Juniper and Hadley have been living their best lives in Larkspur. Juniper is a baking apprentice who dreams of running their own bakery one day and is extremely close friends with Hadley, their local bard. Hadley hopes to stumble onto an adventure one day because they dream of being one of the best bards there is, and they think they need a little adventure to make that happen! What the duo don’t know is that they’re about to embark on their very first adventure together, and it all begins when someone makes a peculiar order at the bakery.

This book is absolutely cute and heartwarming from the very first page. Between the stunning artwork and the lovely and easy going story, there really isn’t anything to not love! We follow Juniper and Hadley shortly before their very first adventure. Along the way, we see them learn more about each other and themselves as well as surrounding towns and even the fey. There is some solid LGBTQ+ representation here beginning with Juniper and Hadley themselves, so if you hope to imagine yourself fitting in the story, it’ll be easy to fit yourself in as you read.

While one of the plots is left open, it doesn’t stick out as anything strange. I’m going to choose to believe that adventure and new friendships added to Hadley’s skill as a bard because for all I know, it did add to their bard life. That said, I love how soft and sweet this entire story is. It’s the first publication from Fern Haught and I’m now looking forward to their future publications. I think their future books will be excellent because this one gave a complete, soft, and sweet story filled with adventure and magic. Reading this was like a hug in the form in a book and I think we all need a little more of that!

I thought was a great graphic novel. The illustrations were great, the story is threaded with contemporary themes including a non-binary main character. Thank you for the opportunity to read this enjoyable book.

Oh, this was so, so cute! I finished this absolutely wonderful graphic novel in one sitting and I wish there had been more of it.

I am a huge fan of cozy graphic novels like The Tea Dragon Society, so this was right up my alley. I loved the characters, especially Hadley and their pet snake, Fern, because I’m non-binary like them. The artwork was absolutely beautiful and the colors were stunning, and I loved the details everything has.

I really, really hope we get more adventures with Juniper, Hadley, and Fern in the future; but even if we don’t I’m still excited to see what else Fern Haught has in store for us!

The Bard and the Baker

Cute, quick, cozy and queer. Not much more I’d ask for from a YA graphic novel.

A beautifully written and illustrated novel about two best friends with unknowing crushes on each other. Their relationship was so sweet. I loved the representation of gender and the quick conversation about it. Definitely a book to pick up and share with the kids.
As a D&D nerd I loved all the different designs of the characters, including the background characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Group for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
The Baker and The Bard, by Fern Haught comes out on March 5, 2024

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Group for an advanced reader’s copy of this book!

This was a delightful cozy fantasy graphic novel with non-binary representation! The art is absolutely beautiful and I was so happy to join Juniper and Hadley on their adventure. I can’t wait to share this story with my kids!

<b>Thank you to Feiwel & Friends, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will release March 5, 2024.</b>

Juniper, baker of pastries, and Hadley, bard with a craving for adventure, live in the small town of Larkspur. When a mysterious customer comes into the bakery and orders galettes that require a particular kind of mushroom for a party, Hadley seizes the moment and volunteers the two of them to go foraging. Upon Juniper and Hadley’s arrival at a nearby town, they hear rumors that something big is in the woods and eating up all the farmers’ crops. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Hadley drags Juniper along to investigate—and meets Thistle, a fey with a connection to the “mysterious” creatures.

Short and sweet, <i>The Baker and the Bard</i> is a perfect encapsulation of everything that can go into a cozy fantasy: whimsical illustrations (the art style feels so folk-y to me, and I adore that), a quite simple reason to go on a quest, and a turn of events that centers on the necessity of respecting creatures’ natural habitat. The characters are charming, and I especially love Hadley’s zest for life. I also found it so precious how quickly Juniper and Hadley pivoted to aiding Thistle.

One thing I do wish is that this could have been a little longer. I would have liked to spend more time in this world and see a few facets of it deepened—including the characters! I don’t think a whole lot of complexity could be added to the resolution of the situation that Thistle faces without (perhaps) altering the tone of the book, though, and at that point, this would not be what it is supposed to be. Or maybe I’m wrong! Regardless, the focus on respect for nature is one of those areas that I felt deserved more attention that the page count could give it. I had similar thoughts about Hadley’s crush on Juniper and gender feelings. At the same time, though, I think that the more surface level of attention given to all these elements makes the book suitable for younger readers (maybe even at a middle grade level) and it doesn’t detract from the coziness—it just makes you want more.

Which you can have a little bit of, as a treat, by cooking your own mushroom galettes and viewing the character design sketches inserted at the end. Fun little extras are always a nice touch, and I think our protagonists would approve.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It took me about an hour to read, so it was a nice short cozy read. I loved Juniper and Hadley, they were honestly so cute and adorable. The illustrations were really cute and the world felt 'real'.
My complaint with the book was that the story felt half-baked. The magic in the world was not well explained, and because of that, I couldn't fully immerse myself in it. It truly felt like the story could be 2 times the size it is right now.
Despite that it was really fun to read and an automatic recommendation for anyone who is looking to read a slow-living book with a cute queer love story as well.

I got the book as an arc from NetGalley in exchange for a review!

The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught

Summary: Juniper and Hadley have a good thing going in Larkspur, spending their respective days apprenticing at a little bakery and performing at the local inn. But when a stranger makes an unusual order at the bakery, the two friends set out on a journey to forage the magical mushrooms needed to make the requested pastries. What started as a simple errand to pick mushrooms soon turns into a thrilling quest to save some furry new friends who are in danger of losing their home.

Feels: This book was so cozy and cute! With a simple plot, it's written for younger audiences. That being said, you can enjoy it at any age. Small town magic, cute creatures, simple and clear gender conversations... chef's kiss! Looking forward to reading more from author.

#NetGalley

I receive this book for free for an honest review. Unbelievably sweet but such diverse characters and a beautiful Setting I couldn't put it down.

This graphic novel fits perfectly into the cosy fantasy trend. Its comps are The Tea Dragon Society and Legends and Latte, and those really hold up.

This is such a quick, lovely read, and super cosy and heartwarming. I'll definitely pick up a finished copy so I can reread this whenever I need a comfort read.

A short and charming novel with pretty art about two young friends (or ARE THEY? jiji) who go off on a wild ride seeking adventure! The two main characters are a baker and a bard who are quirky and adorable!

The art was beautiful and cozy, and I loved the design of the various characters. I enjoyed the vibes of the book and some parts of the story! I especially loved how the novel mentioned gender and being non-binary, it was a very queer book which I loved.

On the other hand, the plot was much too simple for my taste, at times it felt super lazy! I do love cozy no plot books but this was a stretch so I was disappointed. All in all, it was still very enjoyable read and I found it wholesome.