This graphic novel is absolutely adorable! We open on best friends Juniper and Hadley. Juniper works at a bakery and Hadley is on excellent cheerleader. When a mysterious customer comes with a special request, they go on a mission to find the glowing mushrooms they need as an ingredient. Their adventures along the way are so cute and fun, and l just had a great time reading!

3.5 stars**

This book was short and sweet! I loved all of the characters (especially Hadley), the plot, and the LGBTQ+ rep!! The artwork was really great and colorful. I think this book delivered exactly what it was advertising- a cozy fantasy exploring “friendship, determination, and respecting nature.” My only wish was that it was longer and we got to see more from the characters. I can only hope this means there will be more to come featuring Hadley and Juniper!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this arc!!

Thank you Fern Haught, NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, & Feiwel & Friends for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 🥰🫶
.
The illustrations in this book are so beautiful and cozy and I’m thoroughly obsessed! 😍 I loved the little adventure our two MCs goes through; it was so much fun! I also really loved the non-binary rep and the conversation about gender. I think it was really sweet and I wish it was discussed so casually in other books! This is a new favorite of mine and I absolutely cannot wait for it to release! I’m sure a lot of you will like this one just as much as I did! 😊 This is such a fun cozy afternoon read and I highly recommend! I can’t believe this is Fern Haught’s first book as it was so incredibly wonderful! I can’t wait to see what they do next! ☺️🫶
.
If you liked books like The Tea Dragon Society, Garlic & The Vampire, Life of Melody, Mooncakes, A Tale of Hijinks and Honeydew, or the TV show, The Owl House, then I know you are going to love The Baker and The Bard! One of the MCs, Hadley reminds me a bit of Raine from TOH as they are both non-binary and have magical music! ☺️🎶
.
🧡The Baker and The Bard, by Fern Haught comes out on March 5, 2024🧡

A pair of queer young people set off to prove themselves to their boss and stumble across a mystery on the way.

Short and sweet, with themes of found family, the importance of elder queers in the community, and a nice sprinkling of ecology. A lovely low-stakes adventure.

This was super cute. This book has mythical beings and creatures, gender diversity, and is so wholesome. The story follows Juniper and Hadley as they go to collect special mushrooms for the Bakery they work at, and then they get up to adventures. They exemplify open minded kindness.

I highly recommend this story.

The Baker and the Bard is a cozy fantasy graphic novel about an apprentice baker and her best friend journeying to find a rare mushroom for their boss. Along the way, they stumble upon a mystery to be solved: a town’s crops are being ravaged by a mysterious creature. They set out to solve the mystery and find the mushrooms, and maybe a little bit more.

The artwork was cute and the story was just as advertised, a cozy fantasy adventure. Enjoyable for readers of all ages. My only quibble was how fast the subject of gender and relationship between characters came about. There was nothing to really lead us into it, it was just kind of quick.

This was an adorable, cute, and queer graphic novel with a fun and unique storyline, as well as relatable characters. It was silly, romantic, magical, and yet realistic. I fell in love with everyone.

The Baker and the Bard follows Juniper and Hadley (and Hadley’s pet snake, Fern) as they go on an adventure filled with magical creatures. This beautiful story has a strong message of friendship and respecting nature and I loved the non-binary representation. The whole story is sewn together so perfectly and I fell in love with both the characters and the art style. Definitely will be picking up a physical copy of the book when it drops in March 2024!

This book was cute and quaint. I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a soft, lighthearted fantasy that features magical elements but gives adventure in the most calm sense. The art is gorgeous and the character shows grace and kindness throughout. My only complaint is the conversation around nonbinary identity feels shoes horned in and isn't given much room to breath or weave into the story naturally. I loved seeing it, but wanted a smoother inclusion.

I’d like to thank Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for this amazing ARC!

The Baker and the Bard is a heart warming cozy fantasy that I recommend for anyone who enjoys D&D. It’s a low stakes and sweet story about Juniper and Hadley who go on a quest to find items for the bakery they work at. On the way, they encounter a mystery in the town and Hadley becomes determined to solve it. In the background, the two characters gently pine for each other.
As an nb person myself, I was overjoyed with seeing a character like Hadley front and center. They’re charming, fun, and it was wonderful seeing someone like me on the page and talk about their gender. The book strikes a balance between discussing gender queerness without bringing in upsetting topics. If you’re looking for positive representation that is integrated into the story, this is a good book for you.
The art in this book is absolutely stunning, it must be said. The character designs are fun and distinctive and many of the panels have lovely compositions that don’t need dialogue in the slightest. It also has a beautiful color palette with a slightly dreamy quality to it. This is worth getting for the art alone.
Like I said, I recommend this for any D&D fan. Many small worldbuilding details fit into the D&D universe, like bards, druids, fey, and background species. There were even magical moments I could roughly try to map onto spells. The downside is if you’re not familiar with D&D or classic high fantasy, the world building will not get explained for you, but it’s not needed with the story we have.
My only critique is that the dialogue and story felt a tad simplistic and I think both could have had a little more nuance. Juniper and Hadley both have struggles that slightly get touched on, but not for long and some dialogue just felt flat like “I’m nonbinary.” “That’s wonderful”. This was more of a personal issue though and didn’t detract from my enjoyment.
Overall The Baker and the Bard is sweet, relaxing, and reminded me of my favorite game. If you enjoy charming art styles, relaxed plots, and food based stories, you’ll want to check this out.

First off, I think this was a lovely story. I saw a lot of reviews that say it's like a graphic novel of Legends and Lattes - the whole cozy fantasy vibe. I agree! It's great. I also love how cute June and Hadley are. However, I would not categorize this in the young adult genre. I could see it if there were more of journey in Hadley's gender, but this was more juvenile than young-adult. I would suggest to place this in the juvenile non-fiction graphic novel area. That isn't a bad thing in the slightest, and I know a few patrons at my library that I work at that would absolutely adore this book! It's so cute and fun, and I love the relationship between June and Hadley. It was sweet and simple, which is why I think it fits more in the juvenile section. The only thing I would suggest would be to clarify the conversation between Hadley and the fairy about gender and the binary. Make it more drawn out, or spread these thoughts that Hadley has throughout the entirety of the novel. Other than that I think it's a great, cute, and fun read!

Cottagecore queers, this one’s for you.

Juniper and Hadley are two humanoid forest creatures who work in a bakery. They’re sent on an adventure to look for special oyster mushrooms one day when a large pastry order is placed. Getting slightly distracted, they fall into a side quest to solve the mystery of who is eating farmers' crops.

The art was super cute and the story had elements of environmentalism, a little bit of queer romance, fairies, and foraging.

A light YA graphic novel to cozy up with in the fall!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the eARC! The Baker and the Bard is out March 5, 2024.

ARC provided by NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Actual Rating 3.5 ⭐


This was such a wholesome, cozy fantasy with stunning artwork! This is a fast paced graphic novel about a baker and a bard who embark on an adventure to find some special mushrooms for a large bakery order. Upon traveling to a neighboring town, they stumble upon a mystery and end up meeting some new friends along the way. While I really loved the artwork, the little recipe at the end, and the overall story was interesting, this graphic novel didn't feel long enough for some of the themes such as lgbtq+ representation and the discussion surround gender, the overall theme of acceptance, and the love between the bard and baker felt very weak. Due to it being so short and no deep exploration of those themes, this graphic novel feels like it's geared to a much younger audience, as early as 3rd or 4th graders. I would have loved to have seen more details, more build up especially with the two love interests, and a little more exploration of the themes throughout this book. Overall, it's a cute, fast paced, cozy fantasy read and one that will have rpg lovers feeling like they're experiencing their first adventure in a D & D campaign all over again!


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.

3.75 stars rounded up. This graphic novel is very cozy with whimsical fantasy characters and gorgeous illustrations/coloring. Juniper and Hadley set off in search of magical mushrooms to help fulfill the bakery’s large galette order from an enigmatic patron (I love that the recipe is included at the end!). There’s a bit of mystery and a lot of distracted sidetracking on the adventure, which candidly, caused the plot to suffer a bit. Overall, this was a fun, quick read and I’m grateful to NetGalley for the digital copy.

This graphic novel was very cozy and cute. The illustration style lent itself very well to the soft feel of the story. The character design reminds me a bit of the cartoon Doug in a way that is nostalgic and fun to reminisce about.

The two main characters, Juniper and Hadley, have a fun dynamic. Hadley is definitely a bard longing for adventure and experience and they find that when paired with Juniper. Juniper is the voice of reason in their relationship and keeps Hadley anchored without being overbearing or negative. They are playful and comfortable with each other. I especially appreciated Hadley’s summoning of the detective hats for themself and for their snake companion, Fern.

The story pacing is a little fast in the back half of the book and I would have liked to see it paced out a bit slower with some of the story beats. The resolution with the town folks and the mayor might have felt a bit more solid if there was a bit of conflict upon their approach (even if it was just as simple as the town guard sounding an alarm, nothing hostile).

As much as I appreciated Thistle’s campfire conversation with Hadley about gender, I think there could have been a bit more of a build up to it. It seemed very abrupt and out of the blue, but in line with that, it made Hadley feel like they were ADHD-coded, which isn’t a bad thing and fits with their character overall.

I enjoyed the cozy feel of this graphic novel and am excited to see more about Hadley & Juniper if they return for more adventures now that they have their mobile bakery cart.

I love this graphic novel!!! What a sweet and cozy story about two best friends going on an adventure together. I didn't want it to end and hope to see more from Haught about these two loveable characters. It's just a cute, short story with beautiful art to match the cozy vibes.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to review it!

Best friends Juniper and Hadley go on an adventure to find a rare ingredient for Juniper’s bakery. Along the way, they run into a mystery, make a new friend, and save the habitat of some furry creatures.

The Good:

✔️A very enjoyable debut novel

✔️Colorful, imaginative artwork

✔️Queer characters

The Bad:

❌It needs more developing

❌The story felt rushed

❌I couldn’t get a feel for any of the characters

I really enjoyed this book. I’m super excited to read this author’s next books. Fern Haught has a lot of talent and imagination. I did have a few problems with the overall development of the book. However, given that it is a debut, I tend to give them some extra credit.

I did have some personal dislikes about the art. I feel like the art style doesn’t show the characters’ emotions enough and that there isn’t enough detail in the scenes. The scenes could be swapped around and it wouldn’t make much of a difference in the story. However, I did really like the soft, bright colors.

I’m so happy the term nonbinary was explicitly used in this book. We don’t often get that word used directly in mainstream media. One might argue that it’s an anachronism, but, for the most part, anachronisms don’t bother me.

This book is marketed at YA but it could be middle-grade or YA. It’s a little too simplistic to be YA for my taste. Which brings me to the story development. I was disappointed that it was so surface-level. We don’t get to know any of the characters besides ‘Juniper is a baker’, ‘Hadley is a nonbinary bard’, and ‘Thistle is a fey’. I understand that it’s a short graphic novel, but I wanted a little more depth.

Overall, I had a fun time reading this book and I am really excited for this author. The Baker and the Bard is the perfect read for a cozy little night in with some hot chocolate.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, what a cute and cozy story!
As soon as you start reading, you're immediately immersed in this world Fern Haught created. There's no need for an introduction or exposition, you're instantly familiar with the characters and the world they live in. It was a very sweet story and you'll finish it with a smile on your face!
The art style was pleasant and consistent, and the colors are always soft and warm, which adds to the cozy feeling of the story. The plot was simple, I would argue it fits more in the middle grade/teen category than YA, but it was nice and well executed. Without giving too much away, it was nice to glimpse into a world where everyone is kind and well intentioned.
It's not five stars for me because I think it could do with a bit more depth into the subjects it raises. like habitat destruction and gender identitiy.
Either way, this is a great book to read with your kids or young cousins or if you're young yourself. It's a very subtle way to start a conversation and it has a very cute message.

Thanks netgalley for the earc

This book was just not for me I tried to read it but could not finish

→5 stars

so. freaking. cute!! i couldn't wait to get my hands on this and I'm so glad I was approved for the arc!

if you're looking for a cozy, fantasy, adventure story with absolutely adorable characters then look no further come March, 5th! follow the tale of Juniper and Hadley as they embark on an adventure to find the glowing mushrooms for a special recipe. they meet some friends along the way and solve the mystery of the dying crops and mysterious creatures! highly recommend!

thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and the author for giving me an arc!!