The Tea Dragon Festival

by K. O'Neill

Overview

"A lovely, gentle fantasy." –– KIRKUS

Revisit the enchanting world of Tea Dragons with an all-new companion story to the two-time Eisner Award-winning graphic novel The Tea Dragon Society!

Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago. With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep, but Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost.

Critically-acclaimed graphic novelist K. O'Neill delivers another charming, gentle fantasy story about finding your purpose, and the community that helps you along the way.

"Gentle, inclusive, and heartwarming, The Tea Dragon Festival will bewitch existing fans and new readers alike." - Jen Wang (The Prince and the Dressmaker)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620106556
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	09/17/2019
Series:	The Tea Dragon Society , #2
Pages:	136
Sales rank:	24,105
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.80(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

K. O'Neill is an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning illustrator and graphic novelist from New Zealand. They are the author of Princess Princess Ever After, Aquicorn Cove, The Tea Dragon series and Dewdrop, all from Oni Press. Their books reflect their interest in tea, creatures, things that grow, and the magic of everyday life.

Editorial Reviews

"Gentle, inclusive, and heartwarming, Tea Dragon Festival will bewitch existing fans and new readers alike."

Jen Wang (The Prince and the Dressmaker)

"Comics by Katie O'Neill just fill me with such deep happiness and peace that I want everyone in the world to read them."

PaperFury.com - C.G. Drews

"The Tea Dragon Festival is a story as warm and comforting as a home-cooked meal, and drawn with genuine affection for all its characters and the peaceful, verdant world they share."

Melanie Gillman (As the Crow Flies)

"Comforting, inclusive, and peaceful, The Tea Dragon Festival is a refreshing dose of the best things in life."

Foreword Reviews

10/01/2019

Gr 3–5—While foraging for ingredients in the forests near Silverleaf village, young Rinn stumbles upon the slumbering dragon Aedhan, who has been asleep and largely forgotten by the village for the past 80 years. Rinn and the other villagers don't know what caused Aedhan to sleep for so long, but Rinn's uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel (Hese) arrive just in time to help investigate. O'Neill returns to the world of tea dragons in this prequel to 2017's The Tea Dragon Society. Erik and Hese return, as well as a few tea dragons from the original, in their younger years, but both titles in the series can be read independently. Judiciously used dialogue is welcoming but upstaged by the peach- and seafoam-infused artwork. The limited use of lines gives the art a soft and dreamy feel. Lesa, the head village cook, is deaf and communicates via sign language, cleverly depicted via speech boxes rather than the speech bubbles used for audible communication. Rinn and Aedhan discuss gender-fluidity in dragons, and the main human characters appear to be people of color. Fun extras in the back matter include a short note about the relationship between dragons and tea dragons, as well as a one-page tea dragon handbook. VERDICT A serene and delectable feast for the eyes, with a gently shared message about recognizing one's strengths.–Alea Perez, Elmhurst Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

2019-06-16
A young child accustomed to Tea Dragons discovers a real one in this companion story to The Tea Dragon Society (2017).

In the mountain village of Silverleaf, there is a festival dedicated to the Tea Dragons that live among the villagers. Everyone cares for the diminutive creatures and shares the tea they provide. One day Rinn comes across a real dragon asleep in the woods. Waking, Aedhan shifts into humanoid form and explains he was tasked with protecting Silverleaf but fell asleep for 80 years. Rinn decides to cheer up the chagrined Aedhan by introducing him to the villagers and the work they do. While visiting Silverleaf, Rinn's uncle Erik and his antlered bounty-hunting partner, Hesekiel, seek out the mysterious mythical creature that caused Aedhan's deep sleep. As preparations for the Tea Dragon Festival continue, Aedhan helps Rinn discover their role in the community while in return Rinn helps him make up for lost time. Erik and Hesekiel are familiar characters, reintroduced here at a different time of their lives. O'Neill has once again created a diverse set of characters of varying appearances, abilities, skin colors, orientations, and gender identities—Rinn is non-binary. Silverleaf embodies the word community: beings working together in harmony, using one another's strengths to help and support one another. True to her characteristic style, the charming, full-color panels bring to life this feel-good middle-grade tale of community and purpose.

A lovely, gentle fantasy. (Graphic fantasy. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews

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