This is a cute graphic novel for younger ages, 6-8. I thought I'd be able to read it to my 3-year-old, but not yet! It's about a cat who wants to honor her grandparents by taking care of their garden, but she also wants to follow her passion by playing the violin. On top of that, the garden gives her the funds to eat and such, so she really has to garden. But the princess bunny has asked her to perform at her birthday party! Ah, the creative angst.I have to say, as a creative mom who works full

This was a cute graphic novel involving a cat who has a tough time deciding if she wants to pursue her family's business of flower growing & selling or delve into her newfound passion of violin playing. The art was delightful but I was confused by the ending. Definitely leans towards elementary versus middle school.Content Notes: Sex: NoneProfanity/Swearing: NoneReligious Elements: NoneLGBTQ + rep: None

This is an enchanting little tale. Farina's animal kingdom was full of illustrations that took me back to my childhood self. Her use of pinks and purples and adorable animals reminded me of Stephen Cosgrove's serendipity books that I would stare at for hours as a kid- most of all The Grumpling. I also really liked her use of color to indicate emotion. The book has a unique message about choosing between duty and passion with recognizing the value of duty in family loyalty. So much fun! I hope to...

very cute, with gorgeous artwork, but the aesthetic was stronger than the plot. there wasn't much in the way of characterization, and one of the main struggles arietta was facing (view spoiler)[(how to take care of her garden while following her passion for music) (hide spoiler)]never got a conclusion. ofc, it's a book for little kids, and they probably won't even notice, but if the plot and characters were stronger, it might have more staying power rather than being just a bit of fluff.

Arietta doesn't want to sell her beloved grandfather's violin, but she needs money for garden seeds. When she approaches the music shop, she meets Princess Cassia, who is thrilled to meet a violin player! What the Princess doesn't know is that Arietta has never played violin before... can Arietta learn in time to perform at Cassia's birthday party? Song of the Court is full of sweetness and determination that made my heart swell. The friendships are warm and authentic, and even us adults need a

This is lovely

Inspiring!A charming fairy tale—told in graphic novel style—about two unlikely friends who encourage each other to pursue their dreams. “Katy’s work is so expressive and fun! The way she seamlessly blends high drama, big laughs, and tender family moments blows me away . . .” Gale Galligan, New York Times bestselling author of The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novelsIn order to buy seeds for her beautiful garden, Arietta plans to sell her treasured family violin. Then music-loving Princess Cassia spo...

Farina presents a short and heartwarming story featuring adorable anthropomorphic animals and a very hard truth of life that will speak volumes to readers of all ages.Our protagonist Arietta needs money to keep up her family's garden so she makes the difficult decision to sell her Grandfather's violin. Before she even enters the music shop, however, the princess is so enthused to see a musician that she invites Arietta to play a song at her upcoming Birthday party. How could such a genuine and u...

Cute art, but it drops the ball. The main character struggles with maintaining her garden (her job) while finding time to practice the violin (her passion.) When her garden dies, other characters suggest she either give up the violin or hire garden help. She says she doesn't want help in the garden because she does love it, but she can't give up the violin. The others tell her it's okay to have something that makes you happy and have a job, too, but they also tell her she looks exhausted. Then t...

Arietta is determined to sell her family heirloom, her precious violin, to buy seeds for the garden. But on her way to the music shop, she is stopped by Princess Cassia. Cassia loves music, and she is so thrilled to meet a violin player. Won't Arietta play at Cassia's upcoming birthday ball? Arietta isn't sure how to say no, so she agrees, even though she has never played the violin before. Her friend tries to teach her, warning Arietta how hard it can be to learn a new instrument, but Arietta s...

Super cute, almost blindingly cute. Arietta is a cat trying to choose between two things she loves, her family’s garden and playing the violin. Trying to choose causes her to feel a great deal of anxiety but with the support of her friends Emily the sheep and rabbit princess Cassia she can overcome anything. Strong messages about perusing your dreams, the power of music and balance. We never learn why Arietta is so unbelievably skilled with a violin with almost no practice, we also never learn w...

A cute story about being true to yourself. It might be a bit sugary sweet for some, but for the ages six to eight crowd, if they are more "girly" in their tastes, it is right up their alley. There are princesses, music, gardening, best friends and a lot more. The illustrations are bold, but not necessarily to extreme. Yet, you know they are there. Overall, a modern fairy tale with the old school idea of trying to be true to all of yourself.

Cute, gentle, and touching. Delightful colors.

Oh my gosh!! I need this to be a television show immediately. It was so sweet and the characters are all so endearing.

Arietta is about to sell her grandfather's violin to pay for seeds for the family garden, when the princess sees her with it, assumes she plays, and invites Arietta to play at her royal birthday party. Arietta agrees, but she doesn't even know how to play! Arietta's friend Emily agrees to teach her how to play the violin and learn a song before the party, but Arietta soon becomes so obsessed with music she neglects her garden. Can she figure out how to balance her time?A quick story about the in...

Incredibly adorable and has so many good lessons for both young and old. You will definitely want to read this super cute graphic novel with all your kids!

Adorable art, wonderful story with a great message (and one I really need to take to heart: it is okay to ask for help and it is okay to not succed at keeping it all together. Doing multiple things [i.e. a job and a passion] can be hard to juggle). Seriously such cute characters and as long as you don't think too hard about the clothing they wear (the princess wears a dress, but Arietta is only wearing a collar and a hat? Is she naked? Emily, the sheep, wears an apron at one point, is it to prot...

Arietta struggles to find her identity throughout the book. Being stuck between having to continue the legacy of her past ancestors or doing what she loves are the many struggles that occur in our lives as well. I can imagine how much pressure and confusion Arietta must have felt. But I am glad that she was able to come to a conclusion at the end and ended up making the best choices of her life.I love LOVE LOVVEEE the colors and the drawings in this book. Everything is so cute and detailed and j...

I loved this book! The facial expressions and the emotions are amazing in the story. I love how real the emotions and stress were. They are totally relatable and made me bond with the characters. The illustrations are amazing as well. They are so beautiful and full of color. The color palette is really pretty and the story is so heartwarming and also relatable. Although, I do wish we found out how the cat balanced both of her passions. I can only guess she allowed people to help or got enough mo...

Lovely illustrations along with a charming story. I enjoy children’s stories that don’t treat the audience as if they’re stupid. Here, Arietta has to fight with what many adults do, doing what you love or what makes you money. Is there ever a real balance? I enjoyed this a lot! Super cute is an understatement. (view spoiler)[ it’s very unrealistic that they would let the princess travel without her body guards, even to Arietta’s house. But who cares (hide spoiler)]