Review by Booklist Review
Juniper, an apprentice at Mira's Bakery, and Hadley, a Blue Heron Inn performer, enjoy life in the City of Larkspur. But that all changes when a customer requires a pastry order by Saturday. To complete the recipe, Juniper and Hadley must retrieve an essential ingredient: the glowing oyster mushrooms. As they reach the City of Gryfice, they overhear the locals chatting about a mysterious creature eating their crops. Itching for an adventure, Hadley persuades Juniper to help them stop the ravenous creature. Full of bright and colorful artwork, this gentle D & D-like fantasy is a great read for those looking for a light story or dipping their toes into this genre for the first time. Haught cleverly touches on urban development, its environmental impact, and the importance of preserving the local ecosystem, and the budding romance between Juniper and Hadley is a sweet addition. This pleasant food-focused quest resolves happily, and readers hungry to try the mushroom tarts they ultimately make will appreciate the recipe included in the back matter.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Juniper and her nonbinary best friend Hadley are chasing their dreams in the quiet town of Larkspur; Juniper is an aspiring baker apprenticing at a local pâtissier where Hadley, a bard, enchants patrons with their flute. When the bakery receives an unusually large order with a life-changing price tag, the duo set off on their first-ever journey beyond Larkspur and into neighboring towns seeking the rare ingredient needed to complete the order. What starts off as a simple grocery run turns into a high-stakes adventure when they find a nearby town besieged by mysterious, crop-ravaging monsters--and gentle fey caterpillars desperate for a meal following an expanding city's new farm fields' encroachment upon their natural habitat. Haught's debut graphic novel is an empathetic tale of friendship, trust, and learning to balance expansion with preserving and living alongside nature. Soft, loosely lined illustrations and muted tones add warmth and gentility to this quintessential, cozy queer fantasy tale that will appeal to fans of The Tea Dragon Society and The Sprite and the Gardener. Characters are portrayed as having fanciful skin tones and animalian features. Ages 12--up. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--Juniper and Hadley live in the charming fantasy world of Larkspur where they work at Mira's Bakery. When a wealthy stranger comes into the shop and requests an unusual pastry, Mira assures her they will fulfill the order, even though she knows they lack the proper ingredients. Juniper and Hadley convince their boss to let them go to the forest in search of the necessary glowing oyster mushrooms. On their adventure, they learn that the farmers in the city of Gryfice have lost crops due to a mysterious creature emerging from the trees each night. The friends are eager to investigate, and while searching for the culprit, they run into the mystical fey. Thistle, the leader, admits that her giant caterpillar friends need silvergrass to survive. Juniper, Hadley, and the feys must work together to help solve their problems and restore order to the town. This fairy tale--like story is charming and serene. The beautiful drawings depict a magical world whose inhabitants are friendly and open with simple needs and desires. The themes of acceptance and togetherness prevail as the author successfully weaves these threads subtly through the narrative. The conversation about gender and Hadley's admission that they are nonbinary is a bit forced, without a natural transition into the dialogue. Still, it's an important part of the characters' relationships and creates an inclusive literary environment. VERDICT A whimsical, sweet fantasy that is sure to delight teens looking for a magical, cozy world and nonbinary representation.--Karin Greenberg
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A quest for a magical ingredient takes two young heroes on a fantastical environmental adventure. Blue-skinned, magenta-haired, nonbinary Hadley is a bard, and pink-haired, russet-skinned Juniper is a baker. The pair work together at the Blue Heron Inn, and while they're best friends, there may be feelings between them that aren't entirely platonic. Although Juniper's star is rising thanks to her tremendous baking skills, Hadley is in need of "some adventurous material" as inspiration for their performances. After someone offers a bag of riches as payment for a last-minute special food order, the duo sets out to search for the rare mushrooms that will make the pastries glow in the dark. In the neighboring city of Gryfice, they learn that something mysterious is eating the farmers' crops during the night. There's a trail leading into the forest, but people are scared to investigate. Hadley eagerly sets off to investigate, while levelheaded Juniper suggests stopping to make a plan. Their quest quickly becomes more complicated, but they meet an important ally, who shows them that things aren't always as they seem. Haught's charming debut features colorful digital art resembling watercolors that captures the mood of this magical, feel-good story, and the eco-fantasy elements are enriched by the heartwarming relationships. Gender identity is thoughtfully touched upon in a conversation between Hadley and one of the fey. Sweet and satisfying. (recipe, character sketches) (Graphic fantasy. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
