O'Neill has done it again with a sweet middle grade fantasy graphic novel that explores themes of identity and growth. I adored seeing Rowan grow in confidence and better understanding their own identity as well as seeing Leone overcome his own doubts. Both characters had excellent characterization and growth while most of the side characters were used to further the plot. The art style was simple and sweet with detailed expressions. Overall, a definite recommend for fans of O'Neill or middle grade graphic novels.

A young ranger training with their flying horse is sent out on a journey with a young sheepherder. To Rowan's eyes, Leone is frustratingly unmotivated. But as they travel the countryside together on foot, Rowan begins to realize that slowing down can be a good thing. And finding someone who encourages you to be your true self is even better.

This was a sweet and magical a little MG graphic novel as I've come to expect from K. O'Neill. Cozy and hopeful.

I love The Tea Dragon Society and when I saw Kay O'Neill has a new graphic novel coming out, I squealed with delight. I read this one courtesy of @rhkidsgraphic on netgalley!

A Song for You and I is just as sweet and moving as all of their other books. The pastel color pallet is so visually pleasing and the landscapes are beautiful. And of course the ending made me go "awwww 🥹".

I recommend all of Kay O'Neill's graphic novels, especially if you want to go "awww", too.

Really, really sweet. O'Neill's art style is so soft and cozy, and Rowan's journey of self-realization is mostly told through intuition. It feels like the kind of thing that will reach the readers that need it, but isn't so obvious. If anything, I wish I could spend a little more time in this world and these characters, because they're just so tender and lovely.

A new work by O'Neill is always cause for celebration. Their compassionate storytelling and fantastic world-building create stories that are both unique and universally accessible.

4.75/5 stars

A Song for You and I is a sweet graphic novel about a ranger assigned to protect a shepherd, Leone.
This was so wonderfully sweet and cute. The art, as always, is adorable, and the story is sweet and cozy. I do wish the characters had been a little more fleshed out, but they were wonderful anyway.
I love K. O’Neill’s work and I will read everything they write.

CW: bullying; animal injury (fixed); dysphoria

"Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? From the bestselling author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society comes a must read MG graphic novel for fans of soft sweeping fantasy romances.

Rowan knows exactly what they want: to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan's eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan is suddenly unsure if they're capable of being the protector they've always dreamed of becoming.

With Kes needing to heal, Rowan is assigned a slow and winding expedition across the outlying lands. Paired with a lackadasical sheep hearder Leone, Rowan only finds frustration as they seem to fail even the simplest tasks. But Leone's own struggles, and endless support brings a new possibility to Rowan. Could their unlikely friendship be something more? And if it is, will Rowan be able to leave Leone behind to pursue being a ranger once Kes is healed?"

I will read anything K. O'Neill does and I am not at all being forced to write this by the tea dragon that is still on the shelf to my left.

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House Graphic, & K. O'Neill for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
.
I have read many of K. O'Neill's books and enjoyed them. While I didn't love this one as much as The Tea Dragon Society series, it still has the classic cozy vibes typical of K. O'Neill's work. Overall, I had a great time reading it and would still recommend it! It has a valuable lesson of learning from your mistakes and moving forward with your newly learned knowledge. I also love how the MC comes into their gender identity and feels confident in their job and gender by the end of the book. I think this story mainly leads with art rather than words and the art style is gorgeous!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. The illustrations and drawings were great. An apprentice ranger is sent to watch over a shepherd and sheep in a field whilst the other apprentices are sent to more daring places. She tries to prove herself yet her pegasus gets hurt. She finds herself amidst the simple things and realizes that you don’t always have to have adventure. She befriends the shepherd and they both realize they have to take a leap and go for what they want.

I have always found K. O'Neill's work to be heartful and lovely. This title was no exception. A gentle tale about figuring out who you want be. Struggling to prove yourself and live true to yourself are universal struggles and this tale explores those themes beautifully, addressing gender identity in such a compassionate way. I can't express how much I loved this.

Ever since The Tea Dragons Society, I always look for new stories from K. O’Neill. Once again, this did not disappoint. From the illustrations to the story of finding oneself woven throughout, it is a story told in soothing colors. I adored viewing easy illustration in detail as I let the story carry me. O’Neill has such amazing talent with graphic novels, truly a favorite for me. Thanks again to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to read and review this lovely graphic novel prior to publication.

K O'Neill does it again.

Our protagonist is a ranger in training who is trying to decide how to ask everyone to use the name Rowan instead of Rose. One day, Rowan heads into certain danger on their flying horse, Kestrel, to warn the lazy fiddling shepherd boy, Leone, and ends up grounded. But it turns out watching out for Leone and making wool deliveries all over the country isn't as bad as Rowan had anticipated.

This book has particular appeal for anyone who has ever contemplated changing their name and feels they need to prove that they deserve to be called by that name. Even if that's not you, this book is full of peaceful illustrations, heartfelt dialogue, thoughtful comments about friendship and the environment, and reflections on the ways we can kill or destroy another person's hope, often without realizing it. All this is done with only a few words per page. The colors and style are ideally suited to this book, making it the perfect combination of text and illustrations. K O'Neill might not have had this book growing up, but I'm so glad that children of the future will have it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love the illustrations in this book, just as I loved the Moth keeper. The author is adept at creating a new and magical world from scratch without the reader being confused or resorting to too much explanation. I have found a number of books this season with characters dealing with internal turmoil without too much external peril, and I find I like this very much. It allows young readers to identify with the characters instead of seeing it all through big dramatic events. The two main characters are finding their way in the world, seeking change in themselves, and support each other through understanding and empathy, and I appreciate that this does not have to be a romantic relationship.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

K O'Neill returns with their latest graphic novel, A Song for You and I. Readers follow a young ranger as they navigate coming of age both within their duties and as a person. Aided by an unexpected friendship with a violin-playing shepherd named Leone, Rowan grows into the confidence surrounding who they want to be.

While this graphic novel is accessible to middle grade and young adult audiences, there is absolutely an adult audience appeal too. Like the rest of O'Neill's graphic novels, there are themes that transcend age demographics. This one will especially land hard for those navigating the decision, like Rowan, to change their name to one of their choice. It also touches on choice of profession and familial expectations in a less direct, but still present way among other themes.

K O'Neill's art style is one that appeals to me regardless of the content, but the enjoyment is that much more when bolstered by the beautiful messages that O'Neill's works tend to support. Add in beautiful color palettes that support a cozy, cottagecore vibe and bring a sense of calm as well as appreciation for the vibrance of nature.

I am always happy to read one of K O'Neill's graphic novels and am grateful for the opportunity to read this one early. I will doubtless be buying my own copy soon.

A Song for You and I is a beautiful graphic novel about allowing yourself to find your joy and your truth. The fantastical setting of the seaside and rolling hills were breathtaking. Each panel had such detail and whimsical depth!

The world building is both so familiar and new. I loved the world of the rangers and wanted to read more about the different adventures the novices were having. I absolutely loved Leone and their relationship with music.

If you want a cozy, gentle fantasy with substance to chew on, pick this up!

this was very cozy and whimsical which is always expected when reading from k. o'neill! i absolutely adore their art style, and i really loved the colors in this one.

i'm always going to be drawn towards stories of identity, and i love seeing characters find their place and grow comfortable in their own skin. however, i don't feel like this is going to be a story that stays with me a long time like how THE TEA DRAGON SOCIETY did.

if you love queer, gender fluid characters, low stakes, whimsical settings, and quick graphic novels then A SONG FOR YOU AND I is something i would recommend in conjunction with k. o'neill's other graphic novels.

At it's heart a coming-of-age story, A Song for You and I follows the journey of novice ranger Rowan and sheep-herd Leone. Rowan is eager to prove themselves to their fellow novices and other rangers, but in their eagerness, makes a mistake that wounds their flying horse Kestrel and threatens their bond. While Kestrel heals, Rowan is given a more grounded post accompanying Leone to different lands making deliveries. Along their expeditions, Leone and Rowan discover more about themselves, but also find an unlikely friend in each other, and possibly more. Their acceptance of each other allows them each to grow and mature in ways that were really beautiful to explore. K. O'Neill's artwork has always caught my attention, but this one in particular had an almost Ghibli-esque quality with sprawling landscapes and nature scenes. The scene when Leone plays "A Waltz for Rowan" was particularly memorable. This was a truly delightful read!

Every K. O'Neill story leaves me with warm and cozy feelings. This was the sweetest journey of self discovery and acceptance with the light fantasy setting that K. O'Neill does so perfectly.

Huge thanks to K. O'Neill, Netgalley, and Random House Children's for an eARC of this title.

Cozy and adorable. A story of finding yourself, learning to love yourself, and trusting that those who love you will understand. Touches on some strong themes like belonging, self-discovery, queerness, gender identity, family/family acceptance in nuanced and age-appropriate ways. The illustrations were lovely and I can only imagine will be moreso in a psychical book format (I read this as an ARC on a phone app). Absolutely recommend to middle graders and even high schoolers and adults.

This is a great graphic novel for middle schools. Rose/Rowan is an apprentice Ranger and has worked hard to prove herself. She is assigned her final duty to a less-than-ideal spot and she feels she needs to prove herself. As she watches over a "lazy" sheepherder Leone she notices that he is not paying attention to the sheep and is spending his time playing his violin. When Leone doesn't listen to Rose about taking shelter when a storm begins she risks herself and her flying horse, Kes, to go back and rescue him. Kes is injured during the rescue and she is in jeopardy of not getting to add her name to the Ranger board. Rose/Rowan and Leone are assigned to work together while Kes heals and both of them learn important lessons from each other. I really think middle school students will enjoy this book with its wonderful illustrations and important life lessons.