Oh how I loved this graphic novel. Just like I really enjoyed The Moth keeper a lot. I loved Rowan and Leone and their growing friendship. I highly recommend this one to everyone. I cant wait for what comes next from K. O'Neill

I have adored every single book that O’Neil has written and this one just felt like such a treat. The world building in her stories are kind of unmatched! You always want to just live inside of them. This is the world that we are hoping to build with a bit of magic woven in!

Identity
Confidence
Trans Rep
Genderfluid Rep
LGBT Rep
Beautiful Illustrations
This had me tear up! If you’re a fan of The Tea Dragon Society, this one is for you. The illustrations are beautiful! You can easily get caught up in them. The whole premise of this is so touching. Rowan is a ranger in training who is struggling with their identity. Their given name doesn’t feel fitting and with the name carving ceremony coming up, it’s a bit conflicting.
This is a book for everyone! A middle grade, fantasy graphic novel! Highly recommend! Rowan wants to prove themselves even more to the rangers to be able to go through the Name Carving Ceremony. However, the thoughts and focus on this push them to make a risky decision. From this decision a friendship forms between them and Leone. Leone doesn’t care too much for gender (as you’ll see later on) and enjoys his fiddle. When an opportunity rises, Leone is hesitant to showcase his talents. The sweetest thing though, is the acceptance of Leone towards Rowan wanting to change their name and how they want to be perceived. Both go through their own journeys, with some hiccups, to have some realizations that they needed the other for.

I had no doubt this would be a hit for me - there's not a K. O'Neill book I've read and haven't loved and it's SO fully my vibe. I love how sweet this story is and the way that it not only affirms identity but also that mistakes and failures don't define a person. Add in the D&D class tie ins (and the parallels I can draw between the characters and some OCs from my home D&D game that's on hiatus) and there was no way I couldn't be absolutely enamored with this one.

5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Childrens for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill is a Middle Grade Queer cozy fantasy graphic novel exploring transitioning. Rowan knows that they want to be a ranger and protect others around them, but when they make a mistake, they’re forced to slow down and spend more time among the people they are meant to protect. They become friends with Leone, a shepherd who is also very talented with a fiddle but hesitates to play in front of anyone but the sheep they watch over.

The themes of gender exploration and transitioning are handled gently and subtly while also being fairly explicit. We meet Rowan before they transition but have already realized that they do not want to associate with their birth name forever. One of the details that matches what some of my trans friends have also experienced was admiring a mentor of a different gender and wanting to be them but their peers assume that they have a crush instead. The small moments that explore this desire by Rowan to emulate their mentor, such as wearing a pair of earrings, help add an authentic touch without exploring transphobia.

Leone and Rowan’s relationship starts off with some animosity on Rowan’s side as Leone is often seen playing their fiddle but not much else while Rowan is hard at work. There’s even more feelings of frustration when Leone doesn’t head home when Rowan says a storm is coming, leading to Rowan going out and their pegasus getting hurt. But Leone’s gentle acceptance of Rowan and understanding is the very thing Rowan needed to start being honest with themself and others. There is a slow build up of romantic feelings that could become a romantic relationship, but their friendship is what gets the vast majority of page time.

Soft shapes and colors are utilized to help create the cozy atmosphere. The animals were my favorite part, especially the sheep and the pegasi, as there’s a roundness to them that I find quite cute. Quiet moments are given weight with little to no dialogue while the bigger moments feel big as the characters are shrunk down in comparison to the background.

I would recommend this to young readers looking for a graphic novel exploring transitioning and fans of Queer cozy fantasy looking for a graphic novel

"A Song for You and I" is an inspiring graphic novel which speaks to living authentically and following your dream. The story is based in a world in which rangers are protectors and serve while riding a flying horse, The people in this fantasy, however, live a simple agrarian existence. When a ranger in training is asked to protect a young farm boy, they both discover who they truly are. The illustrations beautifully depict both nature as we know it and the flight of horses. Author and illustrator K. O'Neil gifts us with a story for all ages.

Another beautiful endearing graphic novel from this wonderful author/artist. The art was beautiful, the story was lovely and sweet and the themes of finding oneself were truly well done. I will read anything this author creates as I always love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy to read and review.

For a cozy graphic novel, this one hit all the marks. Good art, a good story, fun characters, and magical creatures. I've enjoyed multiple stories by this author and look forward to reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Rose is a guardian in training. When new assignments are given, Rose is disappointed to stay close to home, feeling that there is something to prove to others. Instead of taking care, Rose attempts to be brave and Kestral is hurt. Rose works with a shepherd after Kestral's injury and begins a journey of self-discovery and returning to the true home, the one within.

This is so beautifully illustrated. There are words but there are pages at a time that rely entirely on the illustrations, sucking the reader into the lush landscape that is reminiscent of New Zealand.

I am excited to add this to my elementary library and I believe it should be added to others. There are some areas that will likely have push back on this book due to the closed minds of people.

Thank you to Net Galley, Random House Children's, and Random House Graphics for this DRC. All opinions are my own.

Such a cute, cozy fantasy graphic novel! Love the focus on gender identity along with a coming of age theme as well as both main characters having something to overcome and work towards. The artwork is so pretty and fits well with the story by allowing the art to portray the plot without needing an abundance of text. Highly recommend, especially for young readers!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for a review!

Another really enjoyable and cozy middle-grade fantasy graphic from O'Neill. I've been a fan of theirs for years, and I'm consistently impressed with how warm and soft their stories feel.

I loved this graphic novel so much. The story is so sweet, and the artwork is beautiful. I find it so easy to get lost in this author's stories. Her illustrations really pull me in and I'm always hoping that the book never ends. This was wonderful.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC of this title.

A thoughtful and touching exploration of gender and identity, "A Song for You and I," will be a formative coming-of-age text. The beautiful illustrations and clear characterizations of both main characters make this a must-read for everyone, not just members of the queer community.

This is such a beautiful story of friendship with a hint of more in the end. I really like the character arcs of the two protagonists and how they have to work toward something and then work together, learning about themselves along the way.

I love Kay O'Neill’s graphic novels ever since I read The Tea Dragon Society, so I was very excited at the opportunity to review her upcoming release.

This is a cozy fantasy story, about a ranger in training, Rose, who’s assigned to protect a shepherd, Leone but gets their flying horse injured in the process.
Rose, is trying to prove their, but area struggling to show themselves as Rowan, who they really want to be. Leone, loves to play his violin, and pays more attention to it than his sheep. And struggles to let himself be vulnerable in front of others and play his music. . It’s sweet and meaningful in how it portrays both characters and highlights the importance of self acceptance and love.

As always, I love her style of colorful illustrations, the pastel colored landscapes are dreamy and feel welcoming.

This one is coming out March 4, don’t miss it!

A Song for You and I is feel-good cozy graphic novel about finding who you are and who you want to be. K. O'Neill's artwork features a gentle color pallet, soft lines, and allows the reader to feel the story without an abundance of text by utilizing wordless frames to progress the flow of the story. All of O'Neill's graphic novels feel like windows into worlds I'd like to live in.

Really really lovely. I think the blurb ascribes more plot to this than there really is. A Song for You and I follows Rowan, a young ranger-in-training who gets a less-desirable post in a village that doesn't involve much action. Rowan judges Leone, a sheep tender from the village who spends more time practicing playing music than watching the sheep. Rowan's pegasus gets injured during a storm, leaving Rowan feeling even more stuck. Even though Rowan was initially distrustful of Leone, Leone is the first person Rowan talks to when taking on a new name. Rowan ends up traveling with Leone on wool delivieries and they slowly discover things about themselves and each other. I wouldn't necessarily call this a romance, but Rowan and Leone have a deep connection. The pages here are gorgeous, and many of them give sweeping views of landscape with little dialogue. The ending is pretty quiet and open; it seemed like we had jumped ahead in time a bit to see that everyone was happy, and there's room for you to imagine a lot for yourself. Tonally, this is in line with other works by K. O'Neill, so if you liked The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon books, you will enjoy this. A Song for You and I touches on fear of failure, the importance of rest and time in nature, having faith in one's own abilities, and the journey of discovering one's own gender identity. There is a lot in this slow, sweet book, and I could see people of all different ages getting something out of it! A perfect short read for a quiet afternoon.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Song for You and I is a beautiful, cozy fantasy graphic novel about a ranger who is struggling to find themself as they look to a future that is just around the corner and a musically-talented, if not diligent with their main job, sheepherder who has dreams they’re certain they’ll never pursue. When these two characters are forced together after a grievous error in judgment, our story truly unfolds.

K. O’Neill has done it again! The art? Stunning! The story? Heartwarming. The characters? Lovable. With such gorgeous artwork and a simple yet tender portrayal of a journey and experience so personal, this middle grade read is perfect for older kids, teens, and adults. The look into the author’s “sketchbook” at the end was just the perfect bonus that I’m sure will also make other fellow artists and art-fans happy.

O’Neill’s skill at storytelling through this medium never fails to amaze me, and I’m so happy to have another one to recommend. Coming early March 2025!