A review by cjwitch
The Baker & the Bard by Fern Haught

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

ARC Review: The Baker and the Bard is a sweet, low-stakes, and simple graphic novel.

The art and color scheme is gorgeous and emit a sense of peace that enhances the cozy vibes of the story. The story itself is light and whimsical, wonderfully queer normative, with a touch of magic and an assortment of mythical creatures. Fern, the adorable snake companion, is a joy. Hadley is a goofy, possibly ADHD, non-binary dork and Juniper is soft and adorable. 

This slice-of-life, cozy read unfortunately fell a bit flat for me, with no real depth or character development. If this was marketed for a bit younger audience, I would have rated this higher. As it is currently marketed as YA, I feel it is TOO simplistic and very surface level. Despite that, I enjoyed the read mainly for the lovely art and would recommend it to families with young children.