With gorgeous art that does so much visual storytelling “A Song For You and I” brings a fantasy story filled with self-discovery and acceptance. It’s been a while since I read something that made me cry, but this story was so beautiful I couldn’t help but tear up. For me it is the relief from pain and inner turmoil that makes me cry. The ending pages of this graphic novel are filled with that hope.

I loved this little story so much. I hope one day when I am older and have children that I have this among the stories that my children read. It teaches the understanding of differences. To turn inward and truly understand yourself and who you are. As well as, the beauty and joy of pure acceptance. It is the most beautifully hopeful stories I’ve read in a long time.

As a restless trainee wanting to prove their worth as a ranger before the final tests, Rowan winds up putting themselves and their flying horse, Kes, in danger and getting Kes hurt. Their chance to prove their capability after that comes as an assignment to accompany lackadaisical sheep herder Leone across the land to deliver his family's wool. Leone seems like the total opposite of Rowan in his carefree personality, but the fiddle-playing youngster hides a lot behind his carefree smile. It will be a journey of discoveries and revelations for both.

It's amazing how relaxing and cozy a story about a kid who wants to become a defender and go on adventures can be. Rowan being grounded and forced to walk with Leone on their travels gives the story a more grounded feel that helps put both characters' journey of discovery on the forefront. Them slowly opening up and pushing each other to go after what they want and to be who they want to be is lovely. Not a whole lot happens, but that's what makes it so cozy, that it's just about Rowan and Leone finding the will to be themselves.

The art is cute and fits the story perfectly. It flows from adorable moments of fun to slightly darker situations without ever feeling like the change is jarring. Some of the panels are downright art print worthy in the amount of emotion they can express.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Random House Graphic for the sweet read!

O'Neil has done it again. I fell in love with the Tea Dragon series because even though it was fantastical it felt somehow safe and homey. A Song for You and I is about finding yourself and learning to accept and love who you truly are. It felt like a warm hug. I read it in one sitting and I'll definitely be buying a copy.

A Song for You and I is a graphic novel that follows Rowan, a ranger-in-training that is paired with the laid back shepherd Leone after Rowan’s desire to prove themself causes their flying horse to become injured. In traveling together, both Rowan and Leone gain more confidence in who they want to be.
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K O’Neill has done it again! I loved The Tea Dragon Society and A Song for You and I has just made me into an even bigger fan of O’Neill’s work. I wish I had a book like this when I was younger. The ART is gorgeous!! Every page is a feast for the eyes. The characters feel unique and interesting. This coming-of-age story touched my heart in unexpected ways, almost bringing me to tears at times with its sweet message. I enjoyed seeing Rowan and Leone find confidence in being themselves and pursuing their passions. This is a great addition to the realm of queer cozy fantasy. Fans of The Prince and the Dressmaker and The Tea Dragon Society will love this book!
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Thank you Random House Graphic for providing this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely, gentle story about finding yourself and your way. K. O'Neill's art is delightful - soft, enchanting, and full of color. The landscapes, people, and animals are all lovingly drawn, creating an immersive world. I enjoyed how the characters developed over the story as they went on journeys, met new people, and opened up. A perfect book for fans of cozy fantasy! Bonus if you love flying horses!

Another fantastic work by K O'Neill! I will always read anything they come out with. Their art and world building is so wonderfully whimsical, and this was no exception.

Rowan's story felt like a familiar one and I teared up more than once. And Leone's too felt familiar.

And though horses might be hard to draw, I loved the illustrations of Kestrel. They were so soft and light, it wasn't a stretch to imagine a real Kestrel taking flight.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

First off, thank you to K O'Neill and NetGalley for allowing me to review this advanced reader copy.

This book was like a warm hug. I love K's art style and it bursts through in this one. I was amazed at the amount of information and emotion that was absorbed by the reader in the pictures alone. I definitely recommend this one and frankly all of K's works.

To say K. O’Neill is a must read is an understatement. Once again, they have beautifully captured the challenges of finding oneself and the joy that comes from doing just that. A Song for You and I also shows how even the seemingly mundane contains beauty and peace. Even more important, O’Neill shows how these unexpected places are often exactly what we need to find what we’re looking for…even within ourselves. This is the kind of “you’ll find people who love and support you just as you are” book I could have used in middle grade and I’m sure will be a comfort to many readers today.

The art in this story was so whimsical and beautiful. It gave everything such a soft and sweet feeling, which I think paired with the story perfectly. I loved the message here of learning to be okay with who you are and how you feel about yourself, even if that changes through time.

K. O’Neil knocked it out of the park once again with this graphic novel, and, frankly, this is my favorite one they’ve created thus far. It feels like such an honor to read this kind of vulnerable story, and I’m so glad it exists for younger readers. This is the kind of story I wish I had when I was younger and still questioning my trans identity.

I felt such a connection to both Rowan and Leone, as I have had many of the same fears as these two. Being afraid of expressing yourself around others, being truthful to who you are and what you want for yourself, self discovery, how to work with others- it’s all done with heart, and a beautiful art style to go along with it. Thank you to K. O’Neil for writing this story, as I can tell it will touch so many people as deeply as it touched me. It’s always an incredible feeling to be seen so concisely in a book, and I will cherish this story for years to come.

What a sweet story. I loved the exploration of Rowan's name, gentle gender identity exploration, and ultimate acceptance, and how supportive Rowan was of Leone's music. The transformation between Rowan and Leone from irritating acquaintances to good friends (with hints at more) is wonderful to watch. This did feel quite slow paced and very low tension, a perfect cozy middle grade read. There's large sections with no dialogue where I was just vibing with the illustrations, which I did enjoy, but I also wonder if some meaning could be lost in the non-verbal communication. The story also could have gone quite a bit deeper if it had cut back on some of the sweeping illustrations. Overall this is a very sweet and relaxing middle grade read with a positive if simple message.

A light heartwarming story. Finished this in one sitting. The art-style and color palettes are sure eye-candies. It revolved around the values we take along the journey. Finding bravery to try again, acknowledge one's mistake and getting back to our purpose. To not lose ourselves. love it!!

If you're into graphic novel with coming of age heartwarming story, give it a go!!

Thanks so much publisher and netgalley for the arc in exchange for honest review.

I’ve been a fan of K. O’Neill since The Tea Dragon Society and they continue to build such beautiful, whimsical worlds. The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous. The world that’s been created here is intricate and well designed.

My only qualm is that this book is a lot more illustration heavy. There are quite a few times where it’s multiple pages of illustrations without dialogue or written descriptions and I prefer more dialogue heavy graphic novels. There is a lot of nonverbal communication shown in the illustrations but there are also some that are just pages of landscapes.

A sweet story of self-discovery, identity and the beauty we both find & create in the relationships of our lives. With gorgeous artwork and meaningful dialogue, this graphic novel is a heartwarming treasure.

If you enjoyed the "The Tea Dragon Society", this next book from K. o'Neill will not disappoint. Another beautiful illustrated story with a sweet and deep story about self discovery and growth.

Rowan's character growth is warm and beautiful. It's a love letter to art and storytelling. Rowan is a part of a group of Rangers in training who is initially misunderstood and unhappy with the hand they are delt. Through time and a relationship with Kes, their winged companion, we see a journey of healing and being gentle with yourself. The supporting characters who shape Rowan's world view have hidden complexities that I wish the author would have explored more. I could easily read another two or three books in this universe.

A beautiful addition too any cozy reader's collection or a great read for a young adult looking for a different perspective on life. A big thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me an advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? Identity, belonging, purpose, believing in yourself, dedication to one’s calling, becoming who we were meant to be without bowing to external pressures. This graphic novel was as imaginative, sweet, and soft as their other works, with beautiful illustrations in their easily recognisable style—no surprise there either! Not my favourite by them, but still a very cute story.

"... the ones who love you will get it."

A warm and restful fantasy about being scared and doing it anyways. Lovely to pair the responsible Rowan with laid-back Leone. A ranger and a bard on foot together with nothing but time and miles to open up and share their authentic selves with each other.

The illustrations are gorgeous - from breathtaking senic two page spreads to small intimate glances or even a muddled reflection in a pond. Theres a language to the shapes, colors, clothes, and architecture that gives this fantasy world a sense of reality. I could swim in its lushness.

Highly recommend for youthful readers seeking fantasy stories especially regarding belonging and identity.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's | Random House Graphic for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an arc in exchange for an honest review. I think I might have accidentally requested this twice because I got approved for this book from 2 different listings? As far as I can tell, the actual book file is the same on both though.

This is such a lovely story about self discovery! The story is very cozy and approachable for younger audiences, without feeling too oversimplified for adults to enjoy reading. Also, K. O’Neill’s use of color is truly outstanding. The art has such a charming nostalgic quality to it that I just adored.

This was a really sweet, soft graphic novel about finding yourself and learning that you don't have to prove yourself. Rowan is so much happier when they admit to Leone that they prefer the name Rowan to Rose, and when they realize that they don't have to prove how strong and brave and "the best" they are in order to "earn" the name Rowan. That the people who love them will accept them just as they are. Leone, in turn, had to learn to be brave enough to play the violin in front of others.

The illustrations perfectly matched the story. They were soft and sweet and fluffy, with just the right amount of sketchiness to give movement. I loved all the landscape scenes interspersed between the story scenes, because they really added to the pastoral feel and gave a strong sense of nature and peace.

I loved Kes the winged horse, and all of the people Rowan and Leone meet along their journeys delivering wool.

*Thanks to Random House Graphic for providing an early copy for review.

I am a fan of K. O'Neill. I read The Tea Dragon series when it came out. I flew in love with the artwork and all the different characters. I couldn't pass the opportunity to sign up for the blog & instagram tour.

A Song for You and I is a middle grade graphic novel about finding out who you are and learning to believe in yourself. We follow Rowan is working on becoming a ranger. In a decision to prove themselves, Rowan's horse, Kes, ends up getting injured. While Kes heals, Rowan is assigned to go on a slow journey to the outer lands with a sheep herder. The two end up helping each other grow.

Overall I did enjoy this graphic novel. It was nice seeing these two come together and help each other out. They both are doubting themselves with different things and they really end up helping each other. I just wish we had a little more backstory. I would have loved to learn more about the rangers and just the town in general. I felt that really could have helped enjoy the story more. It would have added to the experience.

I'll continue to check out the other graphic novels from K. O'Neill. I always enjoy the characters and the creatures drawn in these graphic novels. They're always so pretty. I always want to just buy pictures to hang on the wall.