Katie O’Neill Books In Order

Publication Order of Tea Dragon Books

Publication Order of Children's Books

Katie O’Neill
Katie O’Neill is a writer and illustrator from New Zealand. She is very interested in creatures, tea, the magic of everyday life, and things that grow and makes gentle fantasy tales for younger readers. When not working on a book, she is a full time freelance illustrator.

She is a self-taught artist, who’s produced many graphic novels and comics. Katie initially built a fan base by publishing comics on her Tumblr page, like Princess Princess which later was published as a book as Princess Princess Ever After by Oni Press.

O’Neill’s works cover fantasy, slice-of-life tales that are intended for all ages. Her work often includes positive messages and LGBT+ characters. She considers inclusiveness to be important, and that media should reflect the diversity of the entire world all around us. As a result of this, she depicts different identities in her work.

“The Tea Dragon Society” won a Harvey Award, two Eisner Awards, and a Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics. “Princess Princess Ever After” won Favorite Graphic Novel/Book from Autostraddle and was nominated for a Cybils Award. “Aquicorn Cove” was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12). “The Tea Dragon Society” and “Princess Princess Ever After” each made the Rainbow Book list in consecutive years, with the latter making the top ten.

“Princess Princess Ever After” is the first stand alone graphic novel and was released in the year 2016. When Amira, the heroic princess, rescues the gentle-hearted princess Sadie out of her tower prison, neither one of them expects they’d find a real friend. But while they adventure across the kingdom, the find out that they bring out the very best in the other.

They are going to need to join together and use all of the know-how, courage, and kindness they’ve got in order to beat their greatest enemy yet: one jealous sorceress, who just wants to get rid of Sadie for good.

Join Amira and Sadie, who are two very different princesses with their unique strengths, on their journey to learn what happily ever after actually means, and how they can find it with one another.

Fans found this book to be empowering, humorous, charming, and a positive read. The book is a middle grade queer comic that deals with some very important topics and does so in such a lighthearted way.

“Aquicorn Cove” is a stand alone graphic novel and was released in the year 2018. Lana and her dad come back to their seaside hometown in order to aid in clearing up the debris from a storm, the very last thing she expects is to find a colony of Aquicorns, which are magical seahorse-like residents of the coral reef.

While exploring the damaged town and the fabled undersea palace, she learns something important. She learns that even though she can’t always count on adults to be the guardians she needs them to be, she herself is capable of locating the strength to protect her own happiness and the ocean.

“Dewdrop” is a stand alone graphic novel and was released in the year 2020. Dewdrop is an adorable axolotl that cheers on his underwater buddies while they bring each of their talents to the pond’s sports fair.

He is a gentle and easy going axolotl that enjoys cheerleading, naps, and worm pie. When the annual sports fair draws near, he and his buddies: Newman the musical newt, Mia the weightlifting turtle, and three minnows that enjoy cooking all prepare to show off their abilities to the entire pond.

But while the day of the fair draws near, his friends cannot help but put pressure on themselves to be the absolute best. It is up to Dewdrop to remind them just how to find joy in their own achievements, be mindful, and to go at their own pace.

“The Tea Dragon Society” is the first graphic novel in the “Tea Dragon” series and was released in the year 2017. This book follows Greta’s story. She is a blacksmith apprentice and the people she meets while she gets entwined in this enchanting world of tea dragons.

Greta, after finding a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, learns about the dying art of tea dragon caretaking from Hesekiel and Erik, the kind tea shop owners. While she befriends both of them and Minette, their shy ward. Greta realizes how the craft makes their lives better, and eventually, her own too.

This is a gorgeous book with some beautiful messages starring people of color and folks with disabilities and some LGBT+ characters.

“The Tea Dragon Festival” is the second graphic novel in the “Tea Dragon” series and was released in the year 2019. Rinn’s grown up with the Tea Dragons that live in their village, however stumbling upon a real dragon ends up being an entirely different thing altogether. Aedhan is a young that was appointed to keep the village safe but fell asleep in the forest some eighty years prior.

With the help of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and partner Hesekiel, they investigate this mystery of his enchanting sleep. However Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan with coming to terms with the feelings that he cannot get the time back that he lost.

“The Tea Dragon Tapestry” is the third graphic novel in the “Tea Dragon” series and was released in the year 2020. More than a year since Greta was entrusted with Ginseng’s care, she still cannot chase the cloud of mourning away that hangs over this timid Tea Dragon. While struggling to create something that’s spectacular enough to impress a master blacksmith who is looking for an apprentice, she questions the real meaning of crafting. And the real meaning of caring for somebody in mourning.

At the same time, Minette gets a surprise package from the monastery where she used to train to be a prophetess. Tossed into some confusion about her path in life, this reserved and shy girl finds that the more she opens up heart to other people, the more clearly she can see what was always inside.