An e-ARC of this book was sent to me by NetGalley & OniPress in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Sprite and the Gardener is a short enchanting story about the Sprite called Wisteria, and her initiative to help Elena, a girl who is trying to put life and beauty back to her mother's garden. The illustrations and color scheme is so vibrant and beautiful, perfect for flowers and fairies theme. I got enthralled and managed to read it in one sitting. It is a good "pause" read if you are looking for something uncomplicated.

Friendship, cooperation, and unity despite diversity is pretty much the story's moral which makes it a good read for children. However, I still find it bland and monotonous as it has no character development or any sort of thing that would break the "feel-good" feeling even for just a bit. I was not its target market so I don't think my not enjoying it really counts. I'd still recommend it if you are looking for something to uplift you. It was still worth my 15 minutes. :)

The story of The Sprite and the Gardener is a heartwarming tale with beautiful illustrations of lush gardens. On a dark day, the bright illustrations and joyful story are a balm to the heart. Perfect for those who love fairies, gardens, or need a little joy.

A long time ago sprites used their magical talents to take care of all greenery, until humans came along and split the vast swathes of land up into their own private gardens. Since then, humans have cared for their own gardens and sprites have left them to it.

Wisteria is a sprite who is curious about the way things used to be, and after hearing of how a once beautiful garden isn’t looking so well, she goes to investigate. The owner of the home loves her garden but is too busy with work to maintain its beauty. Elena, the woman’s daughter tries to fix the garden up but finds that she isn’t very good at it.

Wisteria secretly helps out, letting Elena believe she has finally gotten good at gardening, however it isn’t long before she catches Wisteria and finds out what’s really going on.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The main themes were based around friendship and helping others. It was super sweet and wholesome. However what really blew me away with this graphic novel were the illustrations. Rii Abrego’s art is absolutely beautiful and I’ll definitely be on the look out for more of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Jump into a magical world that is a beautiful balance of art nouveau, manga, and vintage seed packets. If that’s hard to imagine—trust me—it’s gorgeous. This graphic novel shows the heartache and rewards of independence and the joy of friendship. Environmental theme is present but doesn’t distract from the emotional narrative. The character design is delightful and this work is an excellent example of body positive inclusivity. Panels and camera angles go above the norm for a dynamic and interesting read.

My main criticism is I wish this book was longer. I could have spent more time with these characters.

A must read for fans of Katie O’Neill and Mai K. Nguyen’s PILU OF THE WOODS.

What a sweet and gentle little story this is! The story follows a tiny flower sprite (or fairy), who wants to find her way back to caring for plants, something the other sprites have long given up. She soon learns she can't do it alone and that working with others, even humans, is the best way to get the world blooming.
A lovely simple story, with cute illustrations and a beautiful limited colour pallet. Full of warmth and joy.

Review to come May 2nd to blog/goodreads/etc.

I received this book from Netgalley/publisher in exchange of an honest review.

This was a gorgeously drawn graphic novel about gardening and magic. I mostly enjoyed it though I had some small things that niggled and so I couldn't give it 5 stars. Let's begin with the good.

I loved that Elena had big dreams of restoring her mom's garden. Though I do wonder how long it has been since mom touched the garden given all that is there is grass and more grass. It was just lawn. I was curious about that, because believe me, I am now working on fixing a garden by the previous tenant(s) who couldn't do their garden any more due to circumstances (for years apparently) and it was FULL of plants. Big and small, overgrown as heck. I am now trying to create some order in the chaos. But I did like seeing Elena try to make something from nothing and I was definitely rooting for her. I loved the various plants she picked and was delighted when it was getting prettier and prettier. I could also understand her feelings when she found out about Wisteria and found out that Wisteria did most of the work. I would have also been sad and down. I am glad though that they had a chat and decided to both do things, and that Wisteria would teach Elena. That was just the sweetest.

Wisteria was an interesting character and loved how she found her powers again and started using them. I loved that next to powers she also used her tiny fairy strength to help the plants. Like picking off bad buds or leaves. Or making sure that the plant has enough soil and such. I am glad not everything relied on magic.

I also liked the other fairies, though it did seem all they did was just hang around and chat. Haha. I guess given that they think they aren't needed there is just not much more to do. Though, haha, if I was a fairy I would have some amazing adventures instead of just sitting and chatting.

The ending, or well some part even before the ending, that had me smiling. I am so proud of Wisteria. And my love for the other fairies soared up as well. Go fairies!

The art, soooo pretty. Really, I just love it so so much! It is gorgeous and I love the colours used.

Now for the things I wasn't too happy about.

I still have many questions left. Like why did the fairies stop using their magic to help humans/plants. Yes, the humans garden now, so what? You can still help out or find another patch without humans to help out with. To care for. I found it weird that the fairies seemingly forgot about the magic (given that Wisteria had no clue how to handle it and it didn't always work and the fairies weren't that impressed/had counter arguments).
Plus, I would have liked to see Wisteria arrive. Now she was just there and apparently she was a new fairy on the block? It was a bit confusing.
I also felt like the story just missed some depth, something to make it complete. Now it often felt like it only scratched the surface layer a bit. Not even a lot. And that is a shame. There could have been much more character build, more information on the world, why the humans and fairies could see each other (because apparently they shouldn't? But everyone could see them???). I would have liked to see more of Elena's mom because now it felt like she only popped home once every week? Two weeks? And never once checked the garden or went into it? Not sure how much time elapsed, another issue for me.

So yeah, I did enjoy this a lot, but I would have liked so much more. Still 4 stars, because I love gardening and I love magic. Plus, the friendship between Elena and Wisteria was very sweet. Oh, and cannot forget the amazing art. Definitely also deserves points.

Oh my goodness! This was such an incredible and heartwarming read! This graphic novel just warms the heart with its soft illustrations and sweet storyline. It's short but spreads the message of love and teamwork in gardening and life. If you've enjoyed the Secret Life of Arietty, you're sure to love the Sprite and the Gardener!

So cute and wholesome! This story is about finding joy in small but meaningful growth. It’s about asking friends for help and taking on projects one step at a time. I fell in love with our little sprite and gardener immediately. The story is so sweet. And hey, it’s always great to be reminded to look around and enjoy the green things. This earth gives us beautiful gifts when we take care of it.
The art style is somewhere between The Magic Fish and Steven Universe— whimsical and at times even breath-taking. The character designs for all the little sprites were fun because they were all so different! Sprites come in all shapes, sizes, and colors! AHH !! The art was just so lovely !!!
I’m really excited for this to come out in paperback. It’ll be like a little bit of sunshine on my bookshelf.

The story takes a fantasy creature that doesn't get mentioned much anymore, at least not this cute iteration that feels like something from a Victorian children's book. The story's a bit syrupy at times, but most of it captures that cute Victorian feel with its bright colors, intricate illustrations and hopeful message.

A cute graphic novel for kids about the magical sprites secretly living among us, and the one little sprite who decides to help out by making a garden bloom again. Lots of beautiful, flowery illustrations. I imagine kids who love fairies and plants will fall in love with this sweet little story.

Ooooooh, my gosh this graphic novel is the definition of PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL characters. Just, awww. Super adorable. \o/

You get the sweetest little sprite determined to help a struggling gardener fix up her mum's garden, and soon all the other sprites are joining in on the fun. The artwork is absolutely perfect and you won't be able to read this without a big smile on your face!

If I say that I choose "Sprite and the Gardener" for the amazing cover is that bad?

Whe I finally read it I was entusiastic! The story is about a garden sprite and the gardener she helps. In this world spirits take care of nature bun since time goes by human lost capacity of seeing them (and believe in them?) because they take care of plants by themselves now.

Wisteria is determined to carry out her mission: bring back to life Elena's garden. Other spirits didn't know where Wist spend her days, but she's really happy to helps Elena.

A story about friendship, perseverance, love for nature and plants. Magic is everywhere and we only have to believe in it! Our heart could be blessed by love and magic.

The art style is AMAZING! Colors and "vibes" are so warm and lineart is soft. Every spirits are unique and have their own personality.

I love how Elena committed to make the garden lush like it was in the past.

A grat story! I'd like to read more about these authors.

Fun book and premise. Beautiful artwork. Not much of a story arc. I wasn't invested in the characters. I would only purchase for my library if requested by a patron.

This was absolutely magical and definitely a new favorite!! Everything about this was beautiful, from the artwork itself to the color palette to the story! The artist is one I've been following for awhile now so I remember seeing the inspiration art for this and I'm so excited for this to be its own book!

The Sprite and The Gardener is one of graphic novels with the most beautiful look that I read, I love the colors and the very detailed artline, with a nice message for the reader: that you can't do everything yourself, and with help you will always get a better final result.

I received a free e-ARC from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Sprite and the Gardener was a beautiful graphic novel about a sprite named Wisteria who has just moved to a new town. Historically, sprites used to use their magic to take care of nature, helping plants to grow and thrive. But that all changed once humans started gardening, and sprites became redundant.
Wisteria feels the pull to use her magic to bring beauty to a lifeless garden, but keeps it a secret from other sprites, fearing they wouldn’t understand.
The story is so sweet and warm, I couldn’t help but smile.
I also liked the artwork a lot. The colours were bright and vibrant (sometimes I felt a little overwhelmed, but that was a tiny thing.) The sprites were the boldest colours, while human characters were in more subdued tones. Magic was also conveyed by using pastels a lot, which was cool.
I really liked the character designs as well. While the sprites came in various shades (pinks, purples, oranges and greens), they also came in all shapes and sizes. They also had completely different, and very distinct personalities.
On the whole, a delightful read.

absolutely precious! short read and every page is gorgeous and wholesome. i have no criticisms. i loved seeing humans and sprites come together to create such a beautiful garden. this story reflects the utopia we can create when unifying and helping each other tackle real world problems. a very lovely read!

super warm and sweet graphic novel.
Haven't ready anything like it before.
The illustrations were out of this world!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy for this one :)

Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-arc of this book for review.
I was drawn to this graphic novel from the cover, I thought it was so beautiful and wholesome and I just needed it in my life.
The story, while a bit basic, was really enjoyable and lighthearted, it's really brightened up my day.
If you're looking for a pick-me-up I really suggest this book! You will feel all of the warm fuzzy feelings:)

Que graphic novel mais amorzinho!

Uma leitura leve, rápida, inspiradora e de deixar o coração quentinho.

Peguei para ler por indicação de um amigo (obrigada, Vini) e agora estou desejando uma continuação ou uma versão mais longa (não que a história não tenha concluído de uma forma boa, mas é que eu amei tanto que quero mais).

A arte e as cores são apaixonantes despertando sensação de sonho e nostalgia.

Sprites são seres mágicos, tipo fadinhas, que cuidavam da flora, mas que com a chegada dos humanos/jardineiros, "perderam sua função". Não deixaram de existir, mas passaram a fazer "nadas" até que Wisteria chegou e resolveu resgatar sua antiga função.

Preciso da versão física para ler e reler ♡