This is a beautifully illustrated and thoughtful graphic novel, great for any home or library collection.

A young boy, an ox, and a rabbit move together about their village and the surrounding countryside. As the boy tends to his chores, or relaxes afterwards, the three share their perspectives on community, respect and kindness.

Though similar to “The Boy The Mole The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy”, I found this quiet, meditative book much more engaging and meaningful. The paintings alone by author/illustrator Regina Linke are breathtaking, while also promoting a terrific sense of calm.

The text is minimal, and leaves one pondering and reflecting on life, and how one treats others, and the value of compassion. It was just what I needed to read after a difficult week, and I anticipate returning to this book periodically when I need to be reminded of its gentle and affecting messages.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This is a stunning book. Full of emotion and deep thoughts. I highly recommend this book for library selection.

The Oxherd Boy is one of my top reads this year! The entire book is poetic and beautiful. I absolutely loved the gongbi art style and multiple philosophies throughout the book. I appreciated the introduction, which helped frame out which traditions each character pulls from and create an accessible avenue to understand these more traditional belief systems. I loved how the boy, ox, and rabbit complimented each other and showed how different outlooks can blend together. The Oxherd Boy gave me such a sense of peace while reading through it - this book is truly like a warm hug. While a few lines were cheesy, the vast majority were well thought out and helped frame the world more kindly. There were also some stunning standalone paintings featured within that highlight Linke's technical skills. I am interested to see how this will look in print because the layout for my e-copy was a bit disjointed - different margins or odd page layout - which makes the story feel disjointed. Overall, I adore this little book and will return to it over the upcoming years for a bit of peace.

Absolutely stunning art and touching parables combine to create a beautiful and effective book. Love the acknowledgements, too, where the author thanked the various traditions where they found inspiration and training.

First of all, this book has some of the most gorgeous art I've seen in a graphic novel. It's a short read that can still be enjoyed over a long period of time if you really want to appreciate the illustrations. There isn't much of a plot to this book, so the only reason I'd say this wouldn't be the book for someone is if they're looking for something with more of a story.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

"The Oxherd Boy" is a very cute and short comic illustrated in the traditional style mainly targeted at children. I can imagine parents reading this with their kids. For me, it was short and enjoyable, the drawings were cool and the quite old Chinese story with talking animals. It was just wholesome and heart warming really. The didactics were hidden well enough.

4 stars

It was beautifully drawn. The book reads as a series of small events with teachings being the method of storytelling. I didn’t really see the story until half way through. I thought it was more of a series of quotable teachings but the story is there. The book is pretty and the content is nice. I think it’s worth it for the quick read.

This tranquil and tender book, with its bite-sized wisdoms and beautiful illustrations, makes space on the child’s bookshelf for embracing both life’s harder questions and simple joys. Inspired by many spiritual practices and traditions, I can imagine reading this to my kids when they are a little older for a calming before-bed read. It could probably work for younger toddlers and infants as well, then they could grow into the truths as they age. I like how you could open it to any page and read for a little while. The parables are shorter than I thought they would be, more like mantras or proverbs. The short length of each parable doesn’t diminish their content, it’s just less story-driven than I expected. These are wonderful little truth nuggets that any kid/parent combo would benefit from.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!

This stunning fable book with gorgeous soft-hued illustrations contains powerful wisdom from ancient Chinese philosophy. I found it beautiful to behold and quite soothing, with my blood pressure and breathing calmer as I read. A perfect gift for children and adults alike!

The Oxherd Boy: Parables of Love, Compassion, and Community (Hardcover)
by Regina Linke

At times I can see the ancient Chinese style goiaba painting that are sprinkled through out the text. The new images show how remarkable the paintings are. The story and poetry has great revelations about like contrasting different traditions and ideological arguments. It's a great book for schools to not only show the art work. Compare contemporary and traditional, but also show the inspiration of different points of view.

I LOVED this book of parables...definitely giving Charlie Mackesy vibes but this style of art is so, so much better (in my opinion). I pre-ordered from my indie right away so that I can see the beautiful illustrations IRL. Loved.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is absolutely beautiful. I love the way it was written, and the lessons and story told throughout. I would highly recommend to everyone, but especially those who liked The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.

**Thank you for the ARC!! All opinions are completely my own.** 4 stars. Wonderful parables with beautiful illustrations.

This was a good quick read with beautiful art work and a great message for so many to learn. It is really for all ages and it was awesome to read through!

Regina Linke bestows on us a luxuriously illustrated book of proverbs and parables to encourage us to look at the world and our experiences with fresh eyes, and mostly not to live life on our own. We can learn from each other. We can see new things when we listen to others and ask good questions.

This book is perfect for fans of the older “Tao of Pooh” (Benjamin Hoff) or the more-recent “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” (Charlie Mackesy) or Simon Sinek’s simple “Together is Better.”

Being connected with family, friends and strangers (soon-to-be friends) is what makes life rich. For those tempted by the new fad of couples taking separate vacations, this book will dissuade you of that. Because we are different, our shared experience is all the richer..

We are thankful that Linke did not give up though a teacher once said she would not master a particular art form. She provides tableaus that encourage us to explore what is or is not happening for the people, animals, objects depicted..

I am thankful that the publisher and NetGalley shared an pre-publication version of this book for review.

This is exactly what I needed to read, there were many big tears had and I feel thoroughly comforted and buoyant. The artwork is stunning and immersive, the gestures of the creatures and emotions of the boy are so perfectly captured and conveyed. We follow the boy and his ox, and a few of their companions, through a series of big questions, scary emotions, and the process it takes to work through it all with kind-hearted and gentle guidance. I highly recommend for all ages, shows great prompts for parents and guardians on how to guide kids through big feelings.

I liked this way more than James Norbury or Charlie Mackesy's similar books, both content and art-wise!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing book for any age. Beautiful drawings. Each page is sprinkled with a few words of wisdom, parables, life lessons and truths. This is the perfect book for any parent to read with their child every week. Packed with little nuggets that can spark up endless conversations!
I just reviewed The Oxherd Boy by Regina Linke. #TheOxherdBoy #NetGalley

a wholesome collection of thoughts and beautiful art. a peaceful journey through the simple yet fundamental truths that we (I) tend to forget.

thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the arc!

"Don't be afraid of going slowly," comforted the rabbit. "Only be afraid of standing still."

"It's nice that the cage will always keep me safe from falling," the sparrow said.
The oxherd boy shook his head. "You're not safe because of the cage, but because you have wings."

wholeheartedly recommend.

This beautifully illustrated Chinese parable will appeal to a variety of readers of all ages. Including ideas from Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, presented by animals - an ox and a rabbit - and a young boy trying to understand the world, the images and simply-presented ideas will charm children, while those same ideas will provoke thought in older readers. This is one of those books that will change and grow in meaning as it is read over and over again - and it deserves to be read over and over again, for its depth, simplicity, and the beauty of the illustrations, presented in a timeless and yet contemporary gongbi style.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.