What a beautiful graphic novel! Covering a topic that's so important in our society nowadays, mixing it with traditional folklore and using gorgeous illustrations. Loved it!

I did not expect to be so moved by this story! It's quite a testimony to rest and community. The mixture of folk and fairytale with illustrations that jump off the page makes a beautiful book.

The story follows a young girl who works all week except on Sundays, as there is no Sunday, Frau Holle, the witch, has stolen it. After rushing through her tasks and leaving a big mess, she decides to confront the witch and reclaim Sunday so everyone can have a break.

On one hand, this narrative is a fantastical adventure as the girl attempts to rescue Sunday from the witch. On the other hand, it explores themes of time management, society as a whole and burnout.

This story is a perfect blend of fantasy, fairy tales and deeper meaning; it is a deeply moving and well-crafted story, and the art enhances the narrative and adds depth to the overall experience.

Overall, this story is amazing and a must-read for everyone, and I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

What a delightful book! I was lucky to receive a digital ARC of this gorgeous book from NetGalley for review purposes. Based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, this takes place in a weary world without Sundays. The young protagonist works hard all week and ventures into another realm in search of Sundays to bring joy and rest to her dreary world. In this other realm, colors explode on the page as she shares kindness and elbow grease with areas in need. This book is filled with imagination, fanciful imagery, meaningful moments honoring good work and restorative rest. I loved this book and would wholeheartedly recommend it to young readers.

The Lost Sunday is a graphic novel retelling of the fairy tale Frau Holle. Nina lives in a world where there is no Sunday- she only has time to work and has no time to rest or play. Nina decides she’s had enough and goes to get Sunday back from the witch. Nina shows her courage and kind heart by helping others in need and cleaning up the witch’s land. I love this gothic style graphic novel that uses the art in incredibly interesting ways! I like how when she depicts Sunday/the witch’s land it’s bright colors and beautiful and when it’s the other days of the week it’s dingy and dark.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Lost Sunday.

The Lost Sunday was an adorable graphic novel combining elements from Frau Holle from the Brothers Grimm and "The Old Man's Wise Daughter" from a Romanian collection. The art was whimsy, with scenery straight out of a fairytale with fantastic colors. The moral that is taught in this novel (I will not spoil it) makes it the perfect book for children in elementary school to adults to read. It was indeed such a fun journey to take, and I'm quite excited and hopeful for more of Iléana Surducan's books to be translated. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Liked the concept of the story - but felt the storyline fell flat, was very 2D despite the imagery being multi-dimensional. Loved the illustrations and the coloration. Just would like a tightening of the story, more details - more character and scenic development. I do suspect that having the book in hand will make a significant difference in the experience. 4 star for illustration and colorization, 2 star for story line.

This is a cute fairy tale-like story about the days of the week. The art is charming, and the use of colours and textures go well with the whimsical nature of the book.

Iléana Surducan’s ‘The Lost Sunday’ is such a cute little graphic novel that is well worth the read. It captures the magic of folklore beautifully, blending whimsy and charm in a way that feels timeless yet fresh.

Plot: ★★★★★
The plot is fabulous - it follows an Aarne-Thompson type 480 folk tale, similar to ‘Frau Holle’ or ‘The Three Little Men in the Woods’. This is one of my favorite folk tale types, so I was absolutely delighted when I realized the inspiration behind ‘The Lost Sunday’. The story carries a classic fairy-tale essence but also has a unique, heartwarming spin that makes it stand out.

Character: ★★★★★
Nina is a great protagonist - curious, kind, and easy to root for. The way the days of the week are personified is truly wonderful; each has its own distinct personality, making them feel alive and engaging. Their interactions add so much depth to the story.

Setting: ★★★★★
The setting is beautifully crafted, with a dreamlike, fairy-tale quality that draws the reader in completely. It feels both magical and familiar, like stepping into an old legend that’s been passed down through generations.

Illustrations: ★★★★★
The illustrations are absolutely stunning. The style is vibrant, whimsical, and perfectly suited to the fairy-tale theme. Every page is rich with detail, enhancing the story and bringing its world to life in a way that words alone couldn’t achieve.

Engagement: ★★★★★
I was completely enchanted from start to finish. The pacing flows well, and there’s a wonderful balance between storytelling and visual storytelling that keeps the reader fully immersed.

Readability: ★★★★★
The story is easy to follow while still maintaining a rich, poetic quality. The text and illustrations work harmoniously to create a seamless reading experience.

Enjoyment: ★★★★★
I adored ‘The Lost Sunday’. It’s a beautifully told folk tale that feels both nostalgic and refreshing. If you love folklore, stunning illustrations, or whimsical stories with a timeless feel, this is definitely a must-read.

Iléana Surducan has created something truly special with ‘The Lost Sunday’. It’s a charming, visually gorgeous graphic novel that breathes new life into classic folk tale themes. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys folklore-inspired stories and beautiful artwork.

A beautiful fairy tale about rediscovering your free time!

Gorgeous artworks, honestly I want prints of some of these pages! The story was incredibly sweet and written like a fairytale (which it was) and I can't recommend it enough!

An absolutely beautiful take on “Frau Holle”, a story my mother used to read to me when I was sick as a child. The story follows Nina who works in a world where there is no Sunday and thus everyone is forced to work all days of the week. She goes down into the well of Frau Holle to locate Sunday and goes on a wonderful adventure. The art of this graphic novel is absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands! Definitely recommend this for both young and old.

This is such a fun telling of a Romanian fairy tale that I'm not familiar with. The art is cute, and it's a super short read and reminder to take time to rest and also a bit about karma.

The Lost Sunday is about a town where there is no Sunday, and the people just work and work without stopping on the six days of the week. Also the days of the week are wolves. So a girl called Nina gets fed up with this, and sets out to find the lost Sunday and bring it back so that they can rest.

Of course, it gets a bit more complicated, because it turns out that resting all the time and forgetting about responsibility hurts people too. You need a balance between hard work and rest, on every day of the week, not just Sunday.

I liked the imagery and the concept of the days being wolves, especially towards the end. There are also some cool notes about the fairytales used (there's several folktales that this story is based on) and concept art.

Such a fun and emotional story, with gorgeous and quirky art. This retelling of “Frau Holle” does a fantastic joy of conveying the burnout of everyday chores and the joys of relaxation after much hard work has been achieved.

I absolutely loved the art, which is filled with whimsy. And the message, about taking a moment for yourself and relaxing, is one that most people need to be reminded of.

Fun and playful, yet still powerful and affirming.

The Lost Sunday is such a beautiful reminder to make time for yourself to relax throughout the week, even when you feel overworked and overwhelmed. I absolutely loved the way the colors of the illustrations transitioned with the story and found them to be full of wonder.

I received an ARC from Oni Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Sunday is short and sweet, but packs a punch. It's a story about learning to take breaks, but it's also about learning to enjoy your time. It reads like the fairy tales on which it was based, but a version filled with humor and lightness. This graphic novel doesn't exist to lecture you about it's moral, but rather to give you a gentle nudge while you're enjoying the beautiful art. The art is so fun and quirky and colorful. I loved the slow transition from a dark palette to a lighter one as the story progressed. This was such a fun read that I'm sure I'll read again and again.

Thank you to Oni Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a very cute story aimed for young kids about the importance of taking a break/not working too hard. The illustration style was really interesting- it started in darker tones because everything always went wrong for the characters because they didn't have a Sunday, and as their time began to free up the colors got lighter and more joyful.

This would be great for a younger age, 8-10, as the story was really simple and had an easy to understand message.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a charming little story with the most beautiful art! I don't usually pick up short graphic novels / picture books, but I've already read one or two absolute treasures from Oni Press ("The Tea Dragon Society" is hands down one of the best things on this planet), so I was curious. "The Lost Sunday" turned out to be a mix of two fairy tales – the German "Frau Holle", with which I'm very familiar, and the Romanian "The Old Man's Wise Daughter", which was all new to me. It's a story of hard work and good rest and the importance of balancing these two aspects in life. It's clearly intended for younger readers for there is very little text and it's fairly short altogether, but I thought it quite enchanting as well. The illustrations are creative and lovely to look at, and I think it's a message that everyone might need to hear once in a while.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Sunday by Ileana Surducan published by the Oni Press draws inspiration from the popular Grimms Fairy tale titled Frau Holle and another one chosen from the Romanian Fairy Tales collection titled The Old Man's Wise Daughter.

Opening with a dedication to all those brave enough to take a break and cherish their free time, The Lost Sunday is set in a dusty, crowded town where there is no Sunday. Here, a young girl named Nina works hard every single day from Monday to Saturday (you see there is no Sunday here, so the weekly cycle is from Mon-Sat). The chores are never ending; there is always something falling apart despite the toil. And there is no Sunday or free time, but why?

A witch living in a bottomless pit has stolen it and locked it away in a treasure chest. Nina has had enough of work, work and more work. She decides to visit the land of this witch to retrieve Sunday.

Lots of challenges come along the way, Nina even meets her Double who looks just like her and is more of a problem to her than help. Does Nina get back Sunday to her town, does she succeed in her mission? Read this story to know. For the slaves of time buzzing around like busy bees day after day, this story comes as a wake up call, telling us to pause, that it's okay (and even important) to do nothing at times. It also points out the danger of having too much free time.

With gorgeous illustrations, end notes on how these were created plus information on stories that inspired this book, The Lost Sunday is a fun journey bundling important messages - a treat for readers of all ages, young and old.

Note - If you are a fan of The Tea Dragon Society series by Oni Press , you shouldn't miss out on this comic and a few other books too shared /suggested at the book's end.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for gifting me an early copy of The Lost Sunday!
We are following the story of Nina who is on a journey to get Sunday back. Everyone works all the time and they do not have a day off because of a witch who stole Sunday and keep it locked in a well.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Lost Sunday. It was sweet, light-hearted and made me smile. The drawings are stunning and I loved Nina, the main character.
The concept behind the graphic novel was genius and I fould myself wishing there was more pages because of how good it was. It makes a statement on time and how we tend to overwork ourselves when we actually need to take breaks.

It was also interesting to read about the fairy tale that inspired The Lost Sunday, I had never heard of it!