I initially wanted to read this graphic novel because it reminded me of The Tea Dragon Society, which I love. Both are published by Oni Press and both are soft fantasies for younger audiences about protecting our planet. But unfortunately, I didn't like this story as much as I hoped to.
The Sprite and the Gardener is about a sprite named Wisteria who helps a gardener grow her garden. Sprites used to take care of flowers and plants in the past, but now humans take care of everything and the sprites just exist, hanging out in the plants and staying hidden from humans. But Wisteria wants to take care of plants again, so she goes out and does it.
I thought the story was very wholesome and cute, but it just felt lacking. It needed to be a little bit longer and have more depth, in my opinion. I don't feel like this is going to leave a lasting impression on me like The Tea Dragon Society did, which is sad.
I also didn't really care for the coloring in this book. The drawings and outlines are nice, and the colors are soft and cheerful, but the coloring looks like someone used Paint fill to color the whole thing, every object being exactly one color without any shading or depth. It makes the art feel very . . . incomplete.
Overall, I thought The Sprite and the Gardener was just okay. It is a wholesome soft fantasy about how coming together can make the biggest difference as we can all support each other and accomplish something greater together than we can alone. I think this graphic novel would be enjoyed best by younger children as that is a good moral to teach them, but it leaves older audiences wanting more from the story, both in terms of the plot and the artwork.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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