As always, K O'Neill impressed me with this book! Their work is beautiful and moving, and this book is no exception! I loved the story of Rowan, figuring out who they were. Knowing the name you were born with doesn't fit is very tough, especially when it comes to such important things being tied to the name you use. I love reading these graphic novels as they gently discuss identity and gender.

Whether it's a name, an assigned gender role, a career choice, or an actual pair of boots you once thought great...it's never too late to change. 'A Song for You and I' is a beautifully illustrated story in nine parts, about a ranger and their shepherd friend's self-discovery, growth, and acceptance journeys. The softness of the illustration matches the tone of the story as each character deals with painful memories and the anxious feelings that have led them to their current life situations. Each part shows a new adventure for the pair and brings about a new moment of understanding and connection between them. It's both heartachingly and sweetly relatable in so many ways, and brings such great comfort with a surprising time-skip at the end! This story will be a favorite re-read from now on.

[Netgalley ARC]

A lovely story of acceptance, A Song for You & I portrays the beauty of discovering oneself and being true to who you really are in a low stakes fantasy world that is gorgeously rendered through pastoral artwork. I wish I could crawl into this book and live inside it.

A cute, cozy, beautiful, and heartwarming story about coming into one's own and the power of supportive loved ones who accept and celebrate you as you are. As usual, K O'Neill's art is gorgeous. This book feels like a breath of fresh air. I almost cried happy tears at the end.

I got an ARC of this book.

This is out in March, but I couldn’t wait to read it. I will devour any book that O’Neill puts out. So far only one wasn’t great for me, but that was a formatting issue (The Moth Keeper was really hard for me to read).

This felt a bit older than the other books by them. It felt very YA/NA, but without losing itself to being serious. It is exactly the sort of book that adult Tea Dragons fans will devour. I read it in one sitting, I might have ignored a phone call at work to make sure I was not disturbed. It is that good.

It is the same cute art that made me fall in love with tea dragons, but it felt a little deeper. This was all about a ranger coming to terms with who they were and what that meant for their dreams. At no point was trans or queer used. It is unclear what final identity the ranger even figured out, but it is clear that acceptance creates love and friendships. It doesn’t matter what identity the ranger ended up as, they had a friend that loved and respected them. They had their happiness and their dream.

I don’t hesitate to say that this is a story of gender euphoria. When I was coming to terms with my gender and what that meant for my future, this book would have been one that I loved and hated. I would have loved all the aspects I love now, except one. I would have hated that there was not a trans label given to the ranger. I would have been upset that the violinist never disclosed their gender. I would have felt cheated by this, because I needed to know how gender worked so I could make myself work. Now, it felt like the perfect way to showcase this. Gender is so important, but you don’t need to know every detail of everyone else’s gender to respect them and wish them happiness. That is the key point that has shifted in my perspective since I was a kid. This book is perfection.

If you are a fan of lady knight stories, then this will hit the right notes for you. While the ranger is not a woman, that feeling of being othered and not the same as the others that permeats the Tortall books is strong in this.

A Song for You and I is another beautiful graphic novel from K. O'Neill. Rowan is a ranger in training who feels ready for the next step, but not until they accept themself will they succeed. Rowan is tasked with watching over the meadow where Leone watches sheep while practicing the fiddle. Leone is afraid of scrutiny from playing in front of others, but Rowan helps him slowly gain confidence. The two travel together and grow together through their luscious world. The ending felt a little abrupt, but overall I loved this book and will continue to read anything O'Neill publishes. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This author never disappoints; K. O'Neill always presents visually beautiful stories with lovely messages, and this novel was no exception. 'A Song For You and I' is a graphic novel about acceptance, personal challenges, and friendship. It’s a very beautiful story, and I would love to explore more about these characters.

Another wonderful book by this author! I love their style of illustrations and color themes as well as how richly each character comes through in all their books. This one was heartwarming and had a perfect balance of sadness and joy. I think the themes were subtle in the perfect way & the overall message of learning to be yourself and accept yourself was beautiful. There were a few spots I felt the storyline felt rushed or not as fleshed out as it could have been, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this one!

LBGTQ+ rep: nonbinary or trans MC

Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for a free advanced reader’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a lovely and cozy story about finding yourself and the feeling of having to prove yourself to the world. I thought the storytelling was so delicate and hand such a quiet quality to it that I loved, it felt like the whole graphic novel should have come with it’s own Ghibli soundtrack. It also does something that I personally enjoy, a flash forward just to see the world the characters ended up making for themselves. I just love the growth and the insinuation of more that you get from a little look into the future.

This really felt like a read for spring or summer, meant to be read on a blanket in the park, I highly recommend it!

This charming graphic novel tells a sweet story with delightful art. Fans of the author will enjoy its heartfelt moments and relatable characters. A delightful read that warms the heart!

K. O'Neill's illustrations are so lovely. Just looking through them hits something deep in your soul. The characters in A Song for You and I are so kind yet complexly layered. This is a story any child or adult could see themselves in and relate to. Like all of their other graphic novels, O'Neill has hit the nail head on. Their books will always be a recommendation of mine for customers and family alike.

This was beautiful. The story and art are so soft and cozy, like a warm blanket on a rainy day. There is something so comforting about K. O’Neill’s work and this one was no exception. I didn’t want the story to end, and I look forward to rereading when I have a finished copy.

This was adorable. Everything you would expect from their work. I am a huge fan of everything they create so I had very high hopes for A Song for You and I. It did not disappoint. The art was cute the story was sweet and it had excellent lessons in acceptance. Can't wait to read this again and again.

5 stars

This is a great book. I devoured it and really loved the art style of the book. I love K. O'Neill's work.

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first K. O’Neill book, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I went into it. The drawings ended up being lovely and soft with many of the panels including no words, just illustrations. The story overall was a soft journey about being true to oneself and finding strength to step out authentically. I ended using being slightly disappointed by the amount of story included (I wish there was more), but if you want a soft, slow, and cozy story about gender identity and trusting yourself, this may be the story for you.

4.5
This is a gorgeously illustrated story about figuring out life at a young age, both with regards to vocation and gender. While it handles some big topics, reading it is as cozy as sipping a mug of tea while wrapped in a blanket. I'm excited to reread it when the physical book is released to savor the artwork fully!

I loved this graphic novel. The storyline was fantastic and the art was beautiful. A great portrayal of growth, learning from your mistakes and courage. I did feel like it ended all of a sudden , but that isn't much of a downside, just a surprise.

K. O'Neill is an instant, must-read author/illustrator for me. I fell in love with their work back when they were writing the Tea Dragon series, and each of their graphic novels hasn't disappointed me since. They're gentle and heartfelt stories that kids need to hear, with gorgeous artwork to match. And A Song for You and I is no exception. It's a rather straightforward story, without much dialogue, which I found I preferred, this time around. Usually I prefer more dialogue in my graphic novels, but the quietness of this story really resonated with me. Rowan's journey was told beautifully and simply, and Kes was a great foil. Kudos once again to a fantastic artist and writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's | Random House Graphic for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

K O'Neill has created a beautiful and soft graphic novel set in a pastoral land full of magical flying horses and ordinary sheep. As a young ranger in training, our main character is conscientious of their responsibilities and eager to prove themselves. In contrast, our secondary protagonist, Leone, is a dreamer who spends more time playing his fiddle than minding the sheep. Trouble starts when Leone decides to stay in a rainstorm, and the ranger pushes their horse into the storm to rescue him, resulting in the horse and rider being injured, and a break of trust between them.

The gentle depiction of each panel softens the blow of danger, such as the thunderstorm collapsing a house where a character would have otherwise been staying. However, I do feel it consequently robs some of the stakes of the story and makes it feel slower than expected. One example is Leone's lack of concern for the storm is given a simple: "Didn't know, did I? Sorry about your horse, though..." before being brushed off narratively, while the ranger's hasty decision to rush into the storm is given more weight as bad judgement and dealt with throughout the novel. Their gradual relationship through helping each other is nice, but honestly it felt like more focus should have been on the reconciliation between the ranger and their horse, rather than Leone. Although Leone's story is interesting in its own right, it doesn't connect as well thematically.

The last part is more of a comment on the metadata. The synopsis naming the main character as Rowan in the beginning already tips off a really big plot point as to how the character's perception changes/develops. A reader's questions as to why the ranger wants to prove themselves, which start out as gradual and become more defined, seem to be undercut by the synopsis giving away that answer is that they want to see themselves percieved as a more masculine personality. The synopsis doesn't ruin the plot's development, but it's a bit like using Darth Vader to refer to Anakin Skywalker in "Revenge of the Sith."

Otherwise, the story is beautifully rendered and perfect for fans of more atmospheric graphic novels like Ben Hatke's "Little Robot" or Mariko Tamaki's "That One Summer." The scene where Leone accepts the offer to play violin for a village's dance is one of the best illustrated moments of the story and manages to discuss the fludity of gender perception without coming off as patronizing or didactic.

A song for You and I is a breathtaking story of finding one’s authentic self through the lens of the heroes journey. I was entirely swept away by this small but mighty story. The art and “vibe” is the most satisfying example of cozy/cottage core I have found in a book to date. It is simple in its storytelling, yet rich in its depth of experience.

This book is also coming out at a perfect time for my family, as my middle child just came out as a trans boy. Not only was this book an offering of support to my son, but it helped me understand his experience through the character’s journey.

A Song for You and I feels like a love story on so many levels. Love within friendship, music, gifts, family and of course… being accepted and loved until we can learn to love and accept ourselves. What a gorgeous, powerful book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.