K. O'Neill continues to write such beautiful graphic novels. Their art is amazing, and this novel, in particular, reminds me of The Moth Keeper. (I could see these stories being set in the same universe.) The story is quiet yet radical as both kids grow and discover themselves in new ways. I loved the way O'Neill portrays these changes throughout the book. The setting was rich and I loved the overlying theme of connecting with nature and with the self.

4 Stars
One Liner: Terrific illustrations

A ranger’s job is to protect but the position isn’t given to anyone. When proving herself worthy results in the injury of the winged horse, Rose is given another job. Helping the lazy Leone seems like a punishment until Rose realizes some lessons are yet to be learned and it comes from understanding who she is. Along the way, Leone might learn something too!

My Thoughts:
Firstly, I’m not sure about the blurb. The Rowan part doesn’t come until later and is a part of character and plot development. Not revealing it might have been better maybe.
After loving the Tea Dragon Society trilogy, I was delighted to get approved for this book. The author’s illustrations tell the story with a few words to ease the narration. I also love how seamlessly the author includes gender identity in the work.
As a middle-grade fantasy, this one is pretty low-stakes and super cozy. It is soothing, gentle, mellow, and heartwarming. However, it also tends to rush through some scenes while lingering on others.
Without revealing spoilers, I’ll say that the book subtly and deftly shows the wannabe ranger’s dilemma about identity. The solution is simple acceptance, which fits the cozy and utopian-ish vibe of the book.
I love the Pegasus. It looks so majestic and beautiful! There are many frames without text. These effortlessly advance the plot. The silence feels peaceful and respectful (like how we don’t speak in scared sites). Every character is distinctly drawn, so there will never be any confusion about who’s who.
Why did I not rate it higher? Leone needs more backstory. The focus is on Rowan but also on Leone. This didn’t work as well as it should have. A few more pages would have helped.
To summarize, A Song for You and I is a beautiful, sweet, and lovely book about identity, nature, and friendship. The book has a few sample practice sketches at the end. These are my favorites! Is there anything better than getting a sneak peek into the illustrator’s drawing book?
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Graphic, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Similar to the author’s other works (The Tea Dragon Society, Princess Ever After), this graphic novel is so lovely, sweet, and calm! The illustrations were outstanding, and I loved the slow pacing. The main character goes through some great growth, and I appreciated their relationships to the people around them. An absolutely lovely queer graphic novel!

🌈Queer rep: nonbinary main character. NB/M main pairing. Secondary FF couple.

A Song for You and I was a beautifully soft story that warmed a part of my core as I flipped though the pages. It follows a young bard and a young ranger as they are facing a turning point in their lives. This story is sweet and approaches figuring out oneself through a layer of care and compassion that I thoroughly enjoyed. I, like many, am one of my toughest critics and I could see myself reflected in these characters. I saw myself in Rowan who is trying to figure out who they are, while Leone reminded me of a part of myself who is always there to celebrate and cheer me on. There is something to be said for unconditional love, care, and support especially from those who we may not feel we deserve it from. All of that to say, this book was sweet, and cozy. I imagine it a lot like laying in a meadow, listening to the wind, flowers and grass dancing around your head. Their may be clouds, but ultimately the sun shines on your face again and warms your soul. This book was beautiful, the art was phenomenal. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer and didn’t move so fast. I would’ve loved to dive further into these characters, but I feel like we just scratched the surface.

Thinking about A Song for You and I is going to make me cry tears of joy. It was so cute!

The story follows Rowan, a ranger, and Leone, a musician, after Rowan’s horse is injured and she gets reassigned to accompany Leone on deliveries.

It was full of short adventures that allowed both Rowan and Leone to grow more comfortable with themselves and confident in their livelihoods. The people they met at each destination or along the way were all interesting and helpful in letting the two open up more to themselves and to each other.

The art style, coloring, and storytelling through illustration was wondrous. Soft, joyful, and purposeful. I loved all the scenery and nature as well as the details in the characters.

Honestly for anyone looking for a comforting, reassuring, and low-pressure adventure of a book, look no further!

Every time I pick up a graphic novel by K. O’Neill I go and expecting beautiful artwork and a cute, fun story and then I end up sobbing my way through the end. You’d think that by now I would’ve learned better and would be going in prepared. But you would be wrong. At least the art is beautiful.

A Song for You and I is about two kids who are trying to find their place in the world. Sometimes in order to embrace who you are, you need someone to believe in you first and grant you the courage to be yourself. This is a story about friendship and acceptance. It also has winged horses which you can never go wrong with.

This book was like a warm hug. I highly recommend it to anyone with kids in their life who are questioning their identity or knows someone who is. So basically every kid.

Overall I loved everything about this and I cannot wait to see it on my shelves. Thank you, Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

While I typically enjoy K. O'Neills work,I found this story to be a bit bland. As usual I love the art style and colors a lot, but we’re not told much about the characters and it makes it hard to form any connection to them. The ending was very abrupt and left me feeling incomplete.

I do want to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

K. O'Neill delights once again with another gorgeously illustrated graphic novel about imperfect people and the worries they carry doing their best. A wonderful story featuring two characters who are scared of failure but aching to be their truest selves, Rowan and Leone live in a richly colored world that manages to feel fully realized without trying too hard, with O'Neill's typical style of giving glimpses without over-explaining.

It's a story that validates who you are and encourages you to keep trying despite failures and shortcomings; a warm hug when you're being too hard on yourself.

There is something deeply healing about K. O'Neill's work. "And A Song For You and I" is no different. With lovable relatable characters, beautiful art, and a story of self love this book was just what I needed.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy! K O’Neill does not disappoint! This book has so much charm. I love the character so much. It’s such a simple story but there’s so much to love. The art blows me away. Just a stunning book about love and finding confidence. K is an auto-buy author for me so I can’t wait to get this when it comes out!

(I somehow accidentally requested both copies of this gorgeous graphic novel- oops!!!)

11/04/2024 || A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill || #ASongforYouandI #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, K. O'Neill, and Random House Children's | Random House Graphic for making this e-ARC available!

Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
All of my thoughts are my own~

5 Stars

Honestly, K. O'Neill's books never, ever miss! From the story to the illustrations, I always enjoy O'Neill's works to the fullest! This one made me cry and yearn for more of the story of Rowan, Leone, and Kes - and all their other friends/characters.

K. O'Neill once again has created a story full of self discover, self love, love of community and friends and found family, respect, and kindness.
Rowan's story touched my heart! There are so many gorgeous environment illustrations to enjoy, the different transition pages with illustrations, and the general plot line were all just so well done. I really liked the character development as well.

*thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

this is such a lovely and heart-warming story. pieces like these where the reader is brought along with the main character's journey of self discovery and acceptance are some of my favourite. i like how O'Neill develops characters, showing them make mistakes and figuring out how to fix them and take responsibility for their actions.

it's truly an unashamed humanness that K. O'Neill illustrates in both her art and narratives. as always, a delight to read what this author and artist shares.

K. O'Neill has once again written a beautifully illustrated soft fantasy for all ages to enjoy. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the ARC.

This was a highly anticipated release for my 8 year old. Per her, she loved the story and the art. She has not yet read The Tea Dragon Society, but this made her very excited to read it. She read the whole book in one sitting.

I was so happy to read another K O'neill work. Their works are so comforting like breathing in freshly made bread. A reader can't help but be swept away into a tender, beautiful world. And A Song For You and I is just like that.

O 'Neill's works are all about accepting yourself and understanding the world around you. Rowan is a Ranger Initiate who is eager to prove their self but in that eagerness she gets her pegasus Kes injured. Now they doubt if they should be a Ranger. while Kes is healing, Rowan is given the the task of helping out Leone, a sheep hearder who would rather play the violen then watch the flock.

This story is a great read for kids and adults alike. Both Leone and Rowan struggle with their own identities and what they want to be in the future. One of the best lines from the book is a beautiful line of accepting yourself:" It gets a bit tirin ', tryin' to prove yourself to others. Some people are just never gonna see you the way you want to be seen, y 'know? I reckon it's best to please yourself first, and the ones who love you will get it."

The art work as always is simply beautiful. Everything is colorful and soft and cozy. It is a great way to escape from what we are dealing with in the real world. I love how the horses look and move, I know the author stated they weren't sure about them but i think they did a great job. I also really love how the hair looks like it is blowing in the wind.

I will definitely be recommending this book to others. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Graphic for an ARC of A song for you and I.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

A Song for You and I follows Rowan, a ranger in training on a mission to protect the meadow near her village. However, her eagerness to prove herself leads to an unfortunate incident that injures her companion, Res, a majestic flying horse.

At its core, this story is a heartfelt exploration of love—both for oneself and for the connections we forge with others. K. O’Neill beautifully captures this message, reminding readers of the importance of self-acceptance and embracing one’s true identity.

As always, O’Neill's imagery is stunning, perfectly complementing the narrative. The soft color palette and sweeping landscapes create a serene atmosphere that invites readers into Rowan's world. Each page feels like a warm hug, making this book a delightful escape.

If you're looking for a story that combines enchanting visuals with a touching message, A Song for You and I is an absolute must-read. K. O’Neill’s work continues to be a source of joy for me, and this story is no exception.

K. O'Neill never misses! "A Song For You And I" has a similar melancholia that was present in "The Moth Keeper," but instead of burnout, this story explored self-doubt and the burden of expectation. It was the first of their novels that explored difficulty in queer identity (most are queer normative) and it felt so genuine without being depressing. The art is spectacular as always! I've heard horses are difficult to draw, but they looked very lifelike. And the scenery is just stunning and adds to the overall mood of the story. Every single story K. O'Neill writes reaffirms my optimism and I feel so grateful they share their gift with the world.

K O'Neill has done it again!
I loved the Mothkeeper and Tea Dragon series, so when I heard K. O'Neill was releasing another graphic novel, I just had to read it!
This story is about living as your true self and accepting/believing in others! There is such a powerful meaning behind this sweet story.
Not to mention the art is gorgeous. This is going to be a book for my collection.
10/10.

Middle grade graphic novels have such a special place in my heart. They always fill me with such warmth and wonder. No one has cemented that feeling as well as K. O’Neill. I have read all of their graphic novels and they are all just a delightful as the last. This book is no exception.

We follow Rowan, a ranger in training, who is forced to assist a violin playing shepherd named Leone make his wool deliveries. At first, they struggle to connect, but as they grow more comfortable with themselves, their friendship blossoms.

As always, the art is stunning. It’s full of such color, texture, and whimsy. Every inch of it shows such a deep and interesting world that I’m desperate to learn more. The story is sweet and something anyone who wants to find their place in the world needs to read.

Another absolutely gorgeous story from this author. I've loved every one of these, and I'm so happy that I got to dive into this one as well.