Whimsical graphic novel in pastel art; follows the story of an unlikely friendship in the name of nurturing nature; similar to the Tea Dragon Society series by Katie O’Neill

Who is planning on planting a garden this Spring?! We are! I am definitely modifying what we usually plant due to the crushing disappointment of groundhogs ruining most of my garden last year, but I am planning on planting an amazing herb garden.

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Thank you to @onipress and @netgalley for the gifted ARC of The Sprite and The Gardener by Joe Whitt and Rii Abrego! This adorable graphic novel will be out May 2021!

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Synopsis from the publisher: Long, long ago, sprites were the caretakers of gardens. Every flower was grown by their hand. But when humans appeared and began growing their own gardens, the sprites’ magical talents soon became a thing of the past. When Wisteria, an ambitious, kind-hearted sprite, starts to ask questions about the way things used to be, she’ll begin to unearth her long-lost talent of gardening. But her newly honed skills might not be the welcome surprise she intends them to be. The Sprite and the Gardener, the debut graphic novel by Joe Whitt and Rii Abrego, is bursting with whimsical art and vibrant characters. Join our neighborhood of sprites in this beautiful, gentle fantasy where both gardens and friendships begin to blossom.

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This uplifting and inspiring graphic novel would be perfect for elementary school ages on up. This was an adorable tale of how even one person or sprite can make a difference, but when an entire community comes together the results are nothing less than magical! This graphic novel is a must add for school libraries, with its story being a perfect match for so many science, and social skill curriculum objectives. Beyond that though, even as an adult reading this graphic novel, it left a smile on my face and left me excited to get back into my garden.🧚🏻

Really sweet story, the art is fantastic and I wish I could draw like that. Can't wait until I can buy the book.

A visual feast.
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In the world before humans, communities of sprites were the sole caretakers of the natural world, working together to live in harmony with their local flora and fauna. When people came along and could tend the land, sprites became less involved keeping themselves hidden from the human world. ⠀
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In The Sprite and the Gardener, we follow Wisteria, a sprite who feels drawn to revive a dying garden with a human girl. A joyful exploration of friendship, community, and a return to living in balance with the natural world. ⠀
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The art is stunning. The story comes alive with color and visual elements of delight. ( I was particularly tickled by how dynamic all the sprites were - something of a cross between human and flowers in their look.)⠀
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A perfect read for the season as everything comes back to life this Spring. I have been loving my daily walk around the neighborhood watching daffodils, tulips, and magnolia trees bloom. ⠀
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This graphic novel is short and sweet in the fullest sense. Would be a great read to share with your kids.

Such an adorable, short read with beautiful art and a lovely story full of heart.

This tale is really sweet with a sprite wanting to help a human, admiring her attempts to rebuild a garden that needs a lot of work. Wisteria is so cute and her determination to help Elena, as she hides and supports with the garden.

Their first official meeting is wonderful, as they decide to work together and become friends. All of the sprites coming together to help and their new friendships, everyone has their own talents and able to support.

Overall an enjoyable read, with stunning art and a fun story 💕

This book was a lovely story about nature and working as a team. The art style was breathtaking, and I was frequently awed by the design and drawing of the characters, Wisteria especially. The other characters were varied in body type and design, as well as personality, which I appreciated. I liked everything about the book. It kept my focus, and the story progressed at a good pace. I would definitely look for books by this author or drawn by this illustrator again. I highly recommend it.

Everything about this book is breathtaking. The cover? Perfect. The art? Perfect. The story? Perfect. Each (diverse!) character, sprite or human, is beautifully drawn and colored, along with each and every flower and tree. This story is so incredibly sweet!!

I recommend this book to everyone, no matter your age! In my opinion, lovers of plants and everything adorable will adore it. You will not regret picking up this masterpiece!

Thank you so so much for the opportunity to read this book!

I read and received an ARC through the publisher and NetGalley. Thank you so much! The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The moment I saw the cover art of this debut graphic novel, I knew I was going to love it. Sprites, gardening, magic!? I'm in!

The illustrations do not disappoint. It gives off such a whimsical and charming vibe that each page was like giving a gentle kiss, like petals dancing in the wind.

I appreciate the emphasis of the sprites working together as a community and helping each other out when they have their own strengths and weaknesses. Wisteria is a sprite who doesn't think she fits in and is different from the other sprites, but this was a learning experience for her to know that she can't always do things alone. Everyone has their own place in the group.

This is a short, wholesome, and harmonious read for those who are fans of fantasy, friendships, and a whole lot of flowers.

This was a wholesome and whimsical story. I loved the art style and the colors used. They are quite soothing. I read it in one sitting and adored the experience.

My only critique is that I would have liked it to be longer. I wanted to see more of this world and of the garden sprite's adventures.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

adorable, lovely illustrations that really compliment the story. it would work great as a series of young chilrdren to leanrmore about gardening and nature and to encourage them to care for the environment.

Oh gosh did I love this. The illustrator did beautiful work and the art is a touch magical. It’s not often that is a book is both brilliant in concept and art and dialogue. Wisteria was my fave and the message was beautiful. This is a graphic novel that would probably be a fantastic read for nearly any age group. New favorite.

Wisteria is a little sprite who is new to the area. The sprites live in a neighborhood where the humans do all the gardening, so the ancient art of using magic to help the plants grow has been completely lost. Wisteria begins to experiment with a budding power, and finds that she can make a difference in one small garden.

This graphic novel is so adorable! All the little sprites are so beautiful and sweet. I loved the delicate art style and the pastel colors. Each panel is blossoming with exquisite little details in the background of each scene, and strong emotions in the body language and facial expressions of the characters. It just carries you away to another world!

The plot is simple and straight-forward, as Wisteria discovers her new abilities and begins to explore what that means for the sprite society and how it might affect the humans around them. She is hesitant at first, but learns more and more, and gains some confidence. There's not much going on in the plot, but it's very cute and gentle.

I loved the designs for all the different sprites! They are all so different and fun!

This whole book is such a delight!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

A quick, casual, and beautiful read full of vibrant color and expression. With very little conflict, the story still manages to explore deep themes like legacy, tradition, and purpose.

i loved this, it was so cute and has a really good message. i would highly reccomend to chilcren or adults

I want to thank Netgalley, Joe Whitt and Rii Abrego, and Oni Press for giving me chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly doesn't have much to say for this because this is just a short graphic novel. But let me just say that I enjoyed my time with this one.

The artwork feels so magical to read. It so pretty and looks like it's been touched by magic. I also like how each sprites have a very distinct personalities and it clearly reflects on the artwork of their characters. I think it's really cute, especially Wisteria.

Wisteria is such a precious cinammon roll. I love her personality and her curiousness. The friendship she formed with Elena is so heartwarming and it literally made me smile while reading.

Overall, I rated this 5 out of 5 stars. This graphic novel is superb and magical. And I totally recommend this to every reader of all ages. This was such a light hearted read!

4,5 stars actually. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the opportunity of reading the arc of this cute and beautiful graphic novel.
I loved it all, from de story to the characters and its fair ending. Without telling any spoilers I wanted to emphasize the later.
I wanted a wholesome and cute story without any kind of problem or conflict. And acceptance and understanding to the new and unknown (as for the humans). So I will definitely recommend it if you want something like that.

I loved this!! The artwork was stunning and the story was beautiful. This was a short but extremely sweet and heartwarming graphic novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

THIS IS SO CUTE!!!!! It inspired me to bring my garden back to life.

Wisteria is a sprite wishing to use her talent for gardening, but humans have kind of taken that over so there’s really no need for the sprites to help now. But when Wisteria hears of a garden that is all dead and brown and nothing will grow, maybe sprites are still needed!!

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for access to this advanced graphic novel!
It’s definitely a cute read! I just felt it was very simple, short, and just not much to it. Still a good graphic novel for a younger audience!!

This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a friendship between Elena, a gardener, and Wisteria, a sprite. In this world, sprites used to be the sole caretaker of gardens, but once things shifted to the modern age, there was less of a use for them. Wisteria is a new sprite in town that struggles to fit in and make new friends with the others. She longs for the old days and starts to work her fairy magic on Elena’s garden. Once Elena and Wisteria meet face-to-face by accident (the sprites existence is supposed to be a secret), they strike up a new friendship.

Through working together, the two learn more about each other and have a great sense of teamwork as they try to revive the garden to its former glory. It’s a quiet graphic novel with its lush scenery of blooming flowers, sprite magic, and the color and tones used to depict the characters. The first thing that struck me about the character design was its similarity to an anime style with its own unique twist. These aspects combined added to the overall fantasy feeling the story exudes. It transports readers to a serene and fanciful world where nature and magic combine.

I loved the gorgeous artwork of this story and the theme of friendship and finding joy in simple things. Seeing all of the hard work that Elena, Wisteria, and the other fairies put into restoring the garden reminded me of the summers I spent working in my grandma’s garden. This graphic novel made me feel nostalgic and left me with an overall sense of comfort. It’s a soothing story with a story that will entrance readers of all ages. If you enjoy cute stories with charming fantasy elements, I recommend adding The Sprite & The Gardener to your reading list!