This is such a cute, cozy graphic novel about a young baker and a young bard. This is the kind of nonbinary representation that is absolutely amazing to see in books for young readers! I'm sad it wasn't longer.

This book brought me a lot of joy. The comic style made it a fun read that anyone can enjoy. “The Baker and the Bard” follows a simple journey to go get some glowing mushrooms and the chaos that ensues. The story of Juniper and Hadley is a comforting tale of friendship and adventure, featuring magical mushrooms, giant caterpillars, and fey who care for the environment. There's not much to say, and I think that's a positive. "The Baker and the Bard" doesn't require lengthy paragraphs to explain its story. It has a compelling presence on its own. The book's art style is what truly captivates me! The read was wonderful, with hints of the environmental movement and conservation. Would highly recommend when this comes out.

Review:

Juniper, Hadley, and Hadley's pet snake are the trio I never expected to fall in love with. The Baker and the Bard is full of beautiful friendships and relationships, not just between Juniper and Hadley, but also with their new fey buddy and others in their village. This graphic novel is aimed at a younger YA audience, ages 12-18 and grades 7-9, according to Amazon. Because of this, the plot appears a bit simplistic and twee. However, the story is adorable, accomplishes what it aims to do, and has a great deal of representation and fun.

The Baker and the Bard is a super cozy, light fantasy, and has a low-stakes quest. Juniper and Hadley's quest is sweet and adventurous, and not at all scary. It's almost a cozy mystery for young teens in a fantasy setting. This book is promoted as perfect for fans of The Tea Dragon Society and Animal Crossing, and I agree completely.

The Baker and the Bard is dedicated to those who filled their pockets with pebbles at recess and talked to birds, and I've never read a more accurate depiction of myself at seven years old. I felt a sort of kinship with this book that was lovely and rare. Being as I'm not part of the LGBTQ community and this book features such wonderful non-binary and queer representation, I imagine this book will touch others in similar and even more impactful ways.

Art:

The art in this book is just beautiful. I would never say to buy a book for its aesthetic alone, but this book would nearly be worth it for just that. The art is whimsical, touched with fairy dust, and coated with just a bit of bread flour and dirt. If that vibe sounds like art you want to consume, then pick up The Baker and the Bard ASAP.

Final Thoughts:

The Baker and the Bard is an excellent cozy fantasy, great to use as a palette cleanser between heavier books, and is the perfect LGBTQ-friendly YA graphic novel for the younger teen in your life.

Blog Post will go live on Back Shelf Books at the below link on February 23, 2024.

This sweet little graphic novel delivers plenty of cozy vibes, with a charming artistic style that I resonated with right away. Juniper and Hadley embark on a journey into the forest when a customer at the bakery requests a recipe with a special ingredient. While out the in the woods, they spin off on a side quest to help a community protect the crops that are being destroyed with only a magical shimmering goo in their place.

Where it wins: gentle yet colorful illustrations, cozy mystery for younger audiences, nonbinary representation.
Where it stumbles: while I appreciate the inclusion of gender identity, I felt that it was dropped into the plot with very little context, so it seemed very out of the blue and like it was included just for the sake of being there. I think this will make the concept harder for children to relate to, as there's not much of a bridge to it from the plot they've been following up until that point.

This was a really cute cozy fantasy story. Hadley and Juniper are put on a journey to recover glowing mushrooms for a recipe their boss is making. They end up encountering fae, coming to terms with being different, and embracing crushes, while being a friend to the community around them. Very sweet story with cute graphics. Nonbinary representation, which I feel we need more of.

“A cozy fantasy adventure” is the perfect tagline for this sweet, simple, joyful story of two friends going on an adventure to collect mushrooms for baked goods.

Hello Fellow Readers,

This was such a short, heartwarming graphic novel filled with fun adventure. I really love the diverse cast of characters and the amazingly colorful artwork. This cozy little story is perfect for curling up with a warm drink on a gloomy day. Haught really does know how to create loveable characters even in a short story. Juniper is so sweet, while Hadley is adventurous. Both are well suited for each other.

Overall a cozy fantasy perfect for those who want to get into the genre.

I enjoyed this graphic novel, it's a cosy queer story following two characters on an adventure. But sadly, it was quite forgettable and I thought the art could have been improved slightly. The story was fairly simple and straightforward, it was a low stakes adventure. It's the perfect read when you're searching for a cosy queer comic to read in an under an hour.

The Baker and the Bard is an addition to the growing genre of cozy fantasy. This is a cute, simple graphic novel. While the art style is charming and the story has good beginnings, both the characters and plotline need to be developed. I liked the unique art style, but I wish more time was spent on backgrounds and character expressions. The plot was overly simple, and the conflict, as well as its resolution, could have been more thorough. This graphic novel has a lot of good potential, but neither the art nor the plot is where I would need it to be for a high rating. This was a cute and fun debut novel, and I love the expanding genre of cozy fantasy. I look forward to seeing what else comes out of Haught.

This was such a cozy and sweet read. It had similar vibes to Legends & Lattes (which is an all-time favorite for me), and it makes fantasy more approachable for someone who may not be ready to dive into a high fantasy with complex in's and out's. I loved the little quest we went on with Juniper and Hadley, and the fact that it was all for a bakery job? Perfection! Add that with the whimsical drawings and soft colors, this was the perfect graphic novel to read on a dreary winter day. Keep an eye out for this one coming out in March 2024!
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Content Warning: bugs

This was so cute and cozy. I loved the characters, the setting, the cute little level up D&D quest they went on. Please give me 100 more of these stories of their adventures as they bake and travel. The inclusion was seamless but still explored how people choose to identify. I just loved it so much.

This is such a great way to continue on the trend of cozy fantasy stories and the graphics were really cute! I also saved the mushroom pastry recipe to cook later. I don't have glowing mushrooms though...

Highly recommend picking this up in March!

Beautiful illustrations, lovable characters, and a fun adventure! This was so cute and I loved the bakery aspect and the queer rep!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for the eARC of this title. I liked the story and the characters a lot, but I can't help feeling like something is missing. I think a little bit more refinement to both the story and the art would be beneficial. A cute and sweet story that touches on topics like identity, friendship, found family and conservation. A good graphic novel, it just fails to meet my expectations. 3.5/5

A cute and cozy graphic that shows promise but feels unfinished. I could have used more in-depth characters and world-building, as well as a more fleshed out plot, but I loved the artwork and cozy vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute, sweet, cozy graphic novel. I saw another review compare it to Tea Dragon Society and Legends and Lattes, and I can definitely see the comparisons. The art was very whimsical and colorful, and the plot was interesting and intriguing while also being low-stakes and cozy. A fun, quick read for those looking for some magic and whimsy and queer joy in their lives.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for my review.

This comic follows Juniper and Hadley who go on an adventure to find a special ingredient for a large order the bakery they work at received. This is a quick read with a whimsical art style. The Juniper is a baker looking to start her own place and Hadley is a Bard looking for their big break. They have a cute relationship, lil Fern is precious, and Thistle and her Fay Caterpillar friends are hopefully living their best lives.

Highly recommend for those looking for something low key and sweet.

Cute, cozy, queer graphic novel! A fun and quick read. I loved the story but would have liked to feel a bit more emotional connection to the characters. In that area it fell a bit flat for me.

I got lucky and was allowed to get a copy of "The Baker and the Bard" on Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
This doesn't influence my review, of course.

The Baker and the Bard is a cozy fantasy graphic novel.
It was the first graphic novel I have read in a while and I loved every second of it.

It is short, very sweet, heartwarming, there are very diverse and colorful characters and the story is easy to follow and perfect for a quick trip into another world for a little break from real life!

I was a bit sad when it was over so quick, I would've loved to get to know the characters even more.

4/5 stars <3

I enjoyed this story for everything that it was trying to be! It was a sweet story about two people trying to fulfil a task that may be too big for them alone, but not together! It fits perfectly with the cozy fantasy trend happening currently.

A cute book with some wonderful lgbtq characters. The art in the graphic novel was my favorite part. Thanks to netgalley for the advanced reader copy!