This was just the kind of sweet, comforting read I needed in between some heavy reads. I loved the inclusive characters and the lush, richly-coloured panels and this gently enchanted world of floofy tea dragons and humanoid dragons. And now I want my own Mountain Chamomile Dragon as a pet!

The second Tea Dragons graphic novel is due for release in just over two months, but now is the perfect time to get excited. The artwork in this graphic novel series is hands down the most beautiful and whimsical of any I've ever read before; the colours, the panels, the art style itself are just... *chefs kiss*.

This particular graphic novel is a prequel to the Tea Dragon Society, and although I believe you could read this upcoming release first, I can't stress to you enough how much you'll love the first novel. For anyone hesitant due to funds, or if your library can't get a hold of a copy, you can find the full graphic novel of The Tea Dragon Society on the lovely author, Katie O'Neill's, website!

This is a series filled with so many sweet little lessons and quotes, and while the first novel featured gay, disability, and racial diversity rep, this new installment features so much more. What blew me away from the beginning was how sign language was incorporated into the panels, and how the hard of hearing character was never made to feel isolated or misunderstood. This graphic novel also touched upon the discussion of gender, in such a gentle way that it only added to the story and in getting to know our main character even more. I believe our main character, Rinn, is non-binary and they are just the absolute sweetest and kindest of people.

While we meet new characters in this prequel, we do get to see more of our favourites from the first installment. Erik and Hesekiel are the most magical and caring couple, and it warmed my heart to catch a glimpse of the adventures they got up to. The story of The Tea Dragon Festival will have you hooked from the very first glance - and the very different species of dragon we meet was just as original and exciting as our sweet and spoiled little tea dragons. The Tea Dragon Festival is quite bit longer than the first graphic novel, and you can rest assured that every last word and stunning panel is worth going back to over and over with every read.

I'm over the moon to have discovered this series, and I can't wait to see what Katie O'Neill will come out with next. We'll never know what tea dragon tea tastes like, but the warm and fuzzy feeling these graphic novels give you more than makes up for it!

Characters: ★★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★★
Writing Style: ★★★★★
Artwork: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Intrigue/Enjoyment: ★★★★★

I loved reading this book!
I am a teacher candidate in Ontario right now and I think kids wound adore this book! It is the first time I am reading a graphic novel from the author as I haven't seen The Tea Dragon Society, but I am intrigued!
The art style is very simple but magical, with very lovable and super cute characters. I also loved the fact that the characters speak to each other with sign language as well; I think it's such a brilliant way to be inclusive.

brief summary
The charming world of tea dragons grows in this sweet comic about a town preparing for a festival and a dragon finding a place for himself in the world after nearly a century of slumber.

full review
Katie O'Neill created an irresistible world in The Tea Dragon Society populated with empathetic, diverse characters and adorable tea dragons which seem to be the diminutive form of full-sized dragons. In The Tea Dragon Festival, which acts perfectly well as a stand-alone volume, readers are treated to an expanded view of the world, more breeds of tea dragon, and the introduction of an actual dragon-dragon. It is a very gentle-feeling piece, with its plot unfolding more in vignette-like episodes than a continuous flow, which lends it a sort of dreamlike quality.

Despite the book's brevity and the relative simplicity of its plot (a young gatherer wakes a slumbering dragon and befriends him as her town prepares for a tea festival and she tries to decide what she'd like to do with her life), there are so many details which will bring smiles to readers faces, such as the charming information pages about tea dragons and regular dragons. But where this book really shines is its handling of inclusion and its matter-of-fact portrayal of an incredibly diverse cast. There are numerous instances of this, but I'll only call attention to some of my favorites.

First, there are humanoid dragons, avians, and caprines who all interact with human-seeming beings of many skin tones as if their differences are minor. These characters use ASL (American Sign Language) to communicate pretty frequently because one of the people in the village was born deaf. This is a very interesting and sensible practice, given several members of the community do not have a human speech apparatus. (Of course, they don't all have human hands, either, but whatever. It's a thoughtful device.) In the beginning of the book there's a note demonstrating how ASL is indicated versus vocal speech, and at the end there is an information page about sign language with resources. So, not only does this book promote racial diversity, but it also rejects ableism. There is also a discussion between characters about dragons' shapeshifting abilities, and the fact that dragons can shift among sexes if they so choose, and it's treated as a good and ordinary thing. Hurray for gender positivity!

In addition to depicting positive attitudes toward race, gender, and ability, there is a very positive message conveyed early on by one of the main characters, who is feeling frustrated by her lack of progress in her chosen profession. She is talking with her younger sibling and then declares that moping isn't doing any good, so she might as well be helpful. While this may seem dismissive at face value, I believe it offers disconsolate readers a gentle suggestion to find healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with disappointment.

*Arc provided by Netgalley and the publishers for an honest review*

This book is just so beautiful. Katie O'Neill's art is just so wonderful and the world that she has created is amazing. The diversity of the characters and how she has showcased sign language in this graphic novel is very different and I loved how it was shown.
Reading this makes you just feel happy.

I loved this prequel as much as The Tea Dragon Society. It has O'Neill's familiar bright world, and includes familiar characters Erik and Hesekiel in their younger years, visiting some of Erik's family in the mountains. Rinn is a young person who has a passion and talent for gathering herbs and helping their village. While tea dragons are common in the village, Rinn is surprised to wake a full-sized dragon from an 80-year slumber. The dragon, Aedhan, is also shocked--he didn't know so much time had passed or why, but he was sent to be a guardian of the village. This story is all about friendship and destiny, and it is simply delightful.

**Received advanced copies from NetGalley and from Oni Press at the ALA annual conference

5 stars!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

The Tea Dragon Festival was an absolute delight! It was so sweet and the artwork was absolutely beautiful, the world was expertly crafted and I definitely plan on visiting it again and picking up the authors other works.

I absolutely adored the inclusion of sign language and the seamless addition of diverse characters of different sexuality’s and race.

Honestly I don’t think you could read this without it lifting your mood and making you smile. I’d absolutely recommend this for anyone looking for a graphic novel to read.

That was one of the purest things that I have ever read.

The art is so cute, the story so sweet and everything about it was amazing. And it was so diverse too without it being about the diversity. Rinn and Aedhan just want to help by people and by meeting they discover more about themselves.

I've had a rough couple of days but this short, cute read was just what I needed and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

What a lovely book! The characters are sweet, the story is gentle, and the art is, of course, gorgeous. This is a great companion to The Tea Dragon Society. I loved it.

Thank you so much to @onipress and @netgalley for the ARE of @strangelykatie new graphic novel The Tea Dragon Festival! If you haven’t read any of Katie O’ Neill’s books before you are seriously missing out on something pure and and wonderful that is so rare in this world. Her books are well loved by all members of my family and really have a magical element of joy and wonder that are hard to find the likes of anywhere else.
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The Tea Dragon Festival is the second Tea Dragon book, and a prequel to the first. Here is the synopsis from the publisher:
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Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago. With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep, but Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost.
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This book is so beautiful with it’s whimsical artwork and peaceful storyline. The inclusion of Sign Language was a lovely addition to an already diverse representation of characters with various backgrounds and abilities. This book has a wonderful way of letting the reader know that even when you feel lost of that you made a mistake, that life finds a way of putting you where you are meant to be with the people you are meant to be with.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclaimer: I have voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy from NetGalley, thank you!

I haven’t read The Tea Dragon Society before I stumbled upon this one but it absolutely made me want to read it. The author created such a pleasant, magical world with lovely characters that make you want more and more.

The graphic novel tells a story of Rinn, who wants to become a cook but for now, they’re gathering ingredients for the fellow villagers in the woods most of the time. During one of such trips, they stumble upon a sleeping dragon, Aedhan. Turns out Aedhan was supposed to guard the village but he’d fallen asleep eighty years ago. Rinn decides to take him to the village and help him fit in again and meanwhile, their uncle and his companion investigate the reason for his prolonged nap.

You need to be aware that if you’re expecting epic magical fights, action, and drama you won’t find it here. The story is rather slow and peaceful but it absolutely doesn’t take away from its charm. It was full of diverse characters and very inclusive for people of color and ones with a disability. It’s a pleasant read that gives you a cozy feeling and makes you believe that the world can be better.

The characters are all sweet and lovable. Most of them are POC, Rinn is non-binary and her uncle Erik is in a relationship with his partner, Hesekiel. The townspeople are all able to use ASL because their cook is deaf. I absolutely loved the relationship between Erik and Hesekiel and I heard they also appear in The Tea Dragon Society, which makes me want to read it even more.

The graphics in The Tea Dragon Festival are absolutely stunning. The world is filled with amazing creatures with unique designs. The colors are vibrant and pleasant to look at and the lineless style gives it a very soft feeling. It’s all cozy and summery and reminded me of all the “cottagecore” works like Moomins, Animal Crossing, and Stardew Valley.

The Tea Dragon Festival is a great work for both younger and older readers. I would recommend it for fans of the cottagecore-themed media but also for people who are looking for some relaxing read in-between all the action-filled media they consume.

This book was absolutely adorable. The characters, the plot, the illustrations; they were all so beautiful! I loved the amazing representation in this book with the nonbinary main character, POC, as well as the sign language usage. I have never seen the latter in a book before and it was so lovely to see.

Overall, this book was definitely 5/5 and had important messages of self-acceptance, knowing your worth, being a supportive friend, and helping others.

Tea Dragons are BACK! If you haven’t read the first book, The Tea Dragon Society, what are you waiting for?! If you have, you are in for a treat - The Tea Dragon Festival is as sweet and gentle and adorable as the first. Erik and Hesekiel are back in this prequel, this time returning to Erik’s small-town mountain home for a long-overdue visit. There is a little bit of a mystery to solve, a dragon and other characters to meet, and super cute and sometimes grumpy-looking tea dragons to adore. I always love to visit Katie O’Neill’s rich, colorful worlds. Also. loved seeing sign language being represented in a graphic novel, such a cool thing to include!

I haven't read The Tea Dragon Society yet, but I definitely will after reading this companion graphic novel by Katie O'Neill. I think if you loved The Tea Dragon Society you will love this one, but if you are like me and haven't read the first one, I think you will also enjoy it. I didn't find it hard to follow at all, it has a complete story that you can follow without having read the first one.

The art in this is so beautiful! It's exactly what you would expect to find from O'Neill if you are familiar with her work. I loved Aquicorn Cove, and this book has that same wonderful feel to the art. The colors are so vibrant and have such rich hues. It's fantastic.

The story is really cute in this one too! It's a lot about community and how everyone in this little town is happy to help each other out. I loved the friendship between Rinn and Aedhann, and how they bond on not really knowing where their place is in the world.

This story was also cool because of the diversity in it! It's really great to see fantasy worlds looking similar to the world around us. (AKA, not everyone is Lily White). Also one of the villagers uses sign language, and I don't think I have ever seen that used in a graphic novel before.

If you are a fan of Katie O'Neill I HIGHLY recommend this one.

*I received an eARC copy of this book via Netgalley, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

Many thanks to Oni Press for sending me an eARC via Netgalley for my honest review! Quotes are taken from an unfinished ARC and may not match final publication.

**Thank you to NetGalley and OniPress for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy**
I enjoyed this book. It was just as cute and whimsical as the first. It's a very cozy, heartwarming read. The dragons are just a cute.
Its a prequel to the Tea Dragon Society, and follows Rin who accidentally wakes up a real dragon. With the help of her uncle and his partner, they try to find what lead the dragon to sleeping for 80 years. The art is just as beautiful and the story just as cute. The tea dragon blurb at the end was probably my favourite part. It's an easy book to read in an hour. I liked how it had ASL rep in it, and the diversity was just as prominent in this book.
3.5/5

This graphic novel is wholesome, magical, inclusive and such a feel-good read. I loved everything about this story. The art style is stunning. Now I just want to read all of Katie O'Neill's works.

Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for sending me an advanced digital copy.

This is a graphic novel full of warm feelings, and sweet moments with the cute tea dragons and diverse characters. The art style is awesome and I also liked the story themes involving the search for a person's true vocation and making a place your home through memories and relationships.

The Tea Dragon Festival was delightful and enchanting. O'Neill has a gift for creating a beautiful, immersive world. This is one of those stories that truly transports you someplace else while reading it.

Words honestly can't do this justice. It left me feeling warm and with a sense of wonder - two things there's been a clear shortage of lately.

This book, much like her first one, is absolutely delightful!

First, the artwork, my goodness the artwork! The crisp colors, the wonderful illustrations, the Tea Dragons! They are so cute! It's easy to fall into this book. The sign language is wonderfully incorporated too, while it is expressed what they're saying, O'Neill's drawings also express what needs to be said. I would like one of each, and I would like a ton of framed pictures for my walls please. I also like how there is so much portrayed in the photos, that O'Neill doesn't feel the need to have dialogue on every page.

Second, the story. Erik and Hesekiel from book one are on a mini vacation back to Erik's home village to celebrate the Tea Dragon Festival. Erik's niece, Rinn, enjoys cooking and thinks that she should work to becoming a chef's apprentice. While out gathering mushrooms one day, Rinn sees an abandoned house and discovers an actual dragon. Poor Aedhan has been asleep for 80 years due to a mischievous spirit in the woods. Rinn invites him to come back to the village and works hard to make him feel like he belongs. There is so much diversity and inclusivity in this book it's amazing. Aedhan talks about how dragons came switch between human figure and dragon figure, how they can be male or female, and it is all accepted as just a part of being who they are. I also love how because Lesa is deaf the whole community learned sign language because they all wanted to be able to speak with her. Sure some people struggle with it, but it becomes second nature to them all and they make sure their whole community feels welcomed to everything.

This is just a book full of positivity and I am so glad that this story is continuing.

Katie O’Neill has done it again! Not only are her books beautiful art wise, but they have beautiful messages and representation within them. And The Tea Dragon Festival was no exception! I loved that we got a prequel story of sorts about characters previously met in one of Katie’s previous graphic novels, The Tea Dragon Society. I also loved learning more about the full-size dragons of this world. All around, this was an incredible time (No surprise there!), and I will read everything Katie O’Neill writes in the future!