The Tea Dragon Society

September 11, 2017
Old crafts are falling by the wayside in the enchanting fantasy world of O’Neill’s second graphic novel, following Princess Princess Ever After. Part goblin, part human, Greta, a girl with brown skin and squat horns, is learning her mother’s trade of blacksmithing, even though swords aren’t used for much anymore. After rescuing a tiny tea dragon that has gotten lost at the market, Greta starts learning how to care for these creatures, whose horns sprout leaves that are harvested for tea. O’Neill sets her story over four chapters, one for each season, gradually expanding Greta’s world and her understanding of it. Colored in a palette of warm greens, pinks, oranges, and blues, her delicately drawn panels hum with a subtle romantic energy, particularly when Greta learns the backstory between the two remaining members of the Tea Dragon Society, a goatlike creature named Hesekiel and his strapping, wheelchair-using partner, Erik. (There’s also a whiff of burgeoning romance between Greta and Minette, a girl with unreliable memories who is also learning to care for the dragons.) A quiet, charming story of nurturing friendships and traditions. Ages 9–12.

August 1, 2017

Gr 4 Up-Greta is a young blacksmith apprentice who wonders whether her mother's craft is still relevant in contemporary society. When she rescues a little lost dragon in the marketplace and returns it to its owners, Greta learns about another fading art form-the care of tea dragons, small creatures who grow tea leaves out of their horns and antlers. She becomes fascinated with the enchanting dragons and their caretakers, and begins to appreciate how traditional crafts can create their own kind of magic by enriching lives, including hers. This book is wonderfully inclusive, and depicts a distinct and expressive cast of LGBTQIA characters and people of color. The title is reminiscent of a younger, more innocent version of Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples's "Saga," with many of the main characters possessing horns and antlers. The artwork is soft and fluid, with lots of rounded edges and complementary tones. The backgrounds are an integral and memorable part of the story-some details are so lush that they give the appearance of tapestries. VERDICT This warm and funny story would be a wonderful addition to most graphic novel collections. It quietly illustrates and normalizes a variety of family situations and personal identities.-Kelley Gile, Cheshire Public Library, CT

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2017
In this tale based on the imaginative webcomic, a young blacksmith finds herself welcomed into a society that cares for tea-leaf-producing minidragons.With perky black pigtails, pink horns, and brown skin, Greta is training to be a blacksmith like her mother (who has large pink horns, brown skin, a nose ring, and impressive musculature). In their world, blacksmithing is dwindling in importance, although Greta's mom strives to preserve the art. One day, Greta happens across a darling, small green dragon. She learns the dragon belongs to a dignified-looking bespectacled llamalike creature named Hesekiel. Hesekiel, his wheelchair-using partner, Erik, and the enigmatic, hooved-and-antlered, cotton-candy-tressed Minette make up what is left of the Tea Dragon Society, a group that forms close bonds with the dragons and harvests the tea leaves the creatures grow. The relationship between dragon and owner, much like tea harvesting, is one that requires patience and an appreciation for craftsmanship; that general feeling is apparent as O'Neill's gentle offering languidly unfurls without much dramatic tension. As she did in Princess Princess Ever After (2016), O'Neill has composed a feel-good tale just right for middle-grade fantasy fans. In alluringly hued, manga-inspired illustrations, O'Neill's diverse characters distray an array of different skin colors, orientations, and abilities. Helping to add depth to the worldbuilding is an excerpt from a fictional tome that explains the history of tea dragons and their individual characteristics. Undeniably whimsical and extremely cute. (Graphic fantasy. 7-11)

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January 1, 2018
Grades 3-6 This delightful, quiet tale, which began its existence as a webcomic, follows Greta, a blacksmith's apprentice, who rescues a tea dragon and is invited to learn more about the magical creature by its owner, Hesekiel. Greta, who has goblin blood in her family, and whose mother creates beautiful tools, becomes enchanted by the tea dragons and befriends a mysterious girl who can't remember much but was also taken on by Hesekiel and his partner, Erik. Tea dragon husbandry is a dying art, just like Greta's family business, and she's determined to take part in keeping the creatures alive. Readers will be drawn in equally by the inventive story and gorgeous artwork, which resembles Japanese manga in style but stands apart with lovely colors and lack of harsh outlines. The layout is easy on the eyes, and the back of the book includes an excerpt from the fictional Tea Dragons Handbook, which introduces a few other kinds of dragons not included in the original story. A gentle fantasy perfect for introducing young readers to graphic novels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)