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Sunflowers and Lavender: A Graphic Novel
Fans of the Heartstopper series will love this adorable LGBTQ+ romantic comedy set in sunny Australia!
When awkward, hopeless-romantic Penny meets Bianca, an aspiring musician, she instantly confesses her love... to a can of baked beans. Despite their unusual initial encounter, the two are drawn to each other through a series of events including an accidental dognapping, rival bakeries, poorly drawn notes, a broken coffee machine, and lots of cake.
Can Bianca overcome a bad case of stage fright in time for her New Year's Eve concert? Will Penny find out why her best friend, Tristan, has been so moody? Sunflowers and Lavender is a sweet story for readers struggling to navigate love!
When awkward, hopeless-romantic Penny meets Bianca, an aspiring musician, she instantly confesses her love... to a can of baked beans. Despite their unusual initial encounter, the two are drawn to each other through a series of events including an accidental dognapping, rival bakeries, poorly drawn notes, a broken coffee machine, and lots of cake.
Can Bianca overcome a bad case of stage fright in time for her New Year's Eve concert? Will Penny find out why her best friend, Tristan, has been so moody? Sunflowers and Lavender is a sweet story for readers struggling to navigate love!
176 pages, Hardcover
Published April 7, 2026
9 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 30, 2022
This art is breathtaking and so gorgeous I can't even put it into words. I've fallen in love with every character, each of whom is witty, humorous, and relatable. The representation of cultures, identities, disabilities is just wonderful. This book is a rainbow of joy.
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April 19, 2026agh i hate writing bad reviews esp for books not a lot of ppl have read and that are new but yikes this was not very good. i mostly liked the art? except it went into more idk anime-y style that i wasn’t super into. everyone’s outfits being pride flag colors was kinda cringe ngl. and the plot and writing… were just so bad. no personality, awful choices on everyone’s parts, and just like not well written at all. also stupid not at all researched lines from the “jewish” character (first line to prove she’s jewish: i made challah for my cousins’ bat mitzvah. which like sure. why not. weird statement that i wouldn’t say in this context at all but like i guess that could happen. but the second thing was that she WENT AWAY for HANNUKAH for a MONTH (a MONTH) and had no CELL SERVICE. this was literally to explain why she didn’t know her friend was dating someone. just like lazy and stupid writing and completely nonsensical. i was just like hello????????????????????? what does this even mean???????????). anyways. at least it was short lol.
(i will say, there was a cat named Bindi which was maybe a little fun and def wild. except idk white person naming their cat Bindi… but maybe they are australian who knowssss)
(i will say, there was a cat named Bindi which was maybe a little fun and def wild. except idk white person naming their cat Bindi… but maybe they are australian who knowssss)
April 12, 2026
"Every Relationship I've ever had has barely lasted a week-maybe a month if I'm lucky. I guess I'm used to just like... giving up? But shes amazing enough to put herself out there for something she really cares about. I wanna do the same!"
The sun is out and girls are falling in love! We are so back!
You ever hang out with your friends and think wow, theres no one else I would rather be? This comic is that feeling pressed on to paper. The colours, the art, the expressiveness of every illustration it's all so deeply endearing I found myself continuously smiling at these characters and their world as I was reading. Comical moments are paired with sensitive conversations and neither feels out of place or unjustified. Sunflowers and Lavender is earnest, charming and well drawn. It's having fun for the love of the game! We are talking Superman 2025 for gay people!
The sun is out and girls are falling in love! We are so back!
You ever hang out with your friends and think wow, theres no one else I would rather be? This comic is that feeling pressed on to paper. The colours, the art, the expressiveness of every illustration it's all so deeply endearing I found myself continuously smiling at these characters and their world as I was reading. Comical moments are paired with sensitive conversations and neither feels out of place or unjustified. Sunflowers and Lavender is earnest, charming and well drawn. It's having fun for the love of the game! We are talking Superman 2025 for gay people!
May 4, 2026
Two things: I loved this and I'm going to need Valais to create more art, please!
While there is an ensemble cast and each character has a narrative reason for being there, the two mains are Bianca and Penny. The story is a Bi4Pan, sapphic romance when Penny accidentally runs into Bianca at a grocery store and babbles. Hijinks ensue. The story is short and sweet. It could've been longer and I would've been happy. It's a very quick read, though.
I apparently need to read more queer graphic novels from New Zealand. This reminded me of Tea Dragon Society in that there is an ensemble cast and it's super inclusive and diversity normative as a book. The story is so cute and has universal themes, even for non-queer readers. We can all relate to having a crush in high school and being too shy to talk to them or embarrassing ourselves. The cast includes a wheelchair user, a partial amputee with a prosthetic, a Jewish FMC, an implied blended family (two siblings who are not blood related), a character with albinism, a character with vitiligo, and an entirely queer cast. It's SO detailed, as well. I didn't realize until I was looking at the creation materials in the back that each character's outfits are color-coded to their pride flags. It's so beautifully done. Trans rep without making it invasive. PAN rep, which I never see! Made me so happy as a pan reader.
While there is an ensemble cast and each character has a narrative reason for being there, the two mains are Bianca and Penny. The story is a Bi4Pan, sapphic romance when Penny accidentally runs into Bianca at a grocery store and babbles. Hijinks ensue. The story is short and sweet. It could've been longer and I would've been happy. It's a very quick read, though.
I apparently need to read more queer graphic novels from New Zealand. This reminded me of Tea Dragon Society in that there is an ensemble cast and it's super inclusive and diversity normative as a book. The story is so cute and has universal themes, even for non-queer readers. We can all relate to having a crush in high school and being too shy to talk to them or embarrassing ourselves. The cast includes a wheelchair user, a partial amputee with a prosthetic, a Jewish FMC, an implied blended family (two siblings who are not blood related), a character with albinism, a character with vitiligo, and an entirely queer cast. It's SO detailed, as well. I didn't realize until I was looking at the creation materials in the back that each character's outfits are color-coded to their pride flags. It's so beautifully done. Trans rep without making it invasive. PAN rep, which I never see! Made me so happy as a pan reader.
May 8, 2026
This was very chaotic, but the illustrations were beautiful. Loved the representation and the very real gay panic.
September 5, 2025
A super cute and heartwarming sapphic story! Loved the illustration style and the use of color to identify characters!
April 25, 2026
What if Heartstopper was a Disney movie? I mean the plot is completely different and this book is sapphic, but those are the vibes I got while reading Sunflowers and Lavender. Set in Australia, this adorable YA romcom graphic novel is chock full of BIPOC characters and queer joy. It left me with a stomach full of butterflies, hearts in my eyes, and multiple audible “AWWWWWWH!”
Penny is a hopeless romantic who loves to bake. She’s had her fair share of exes, but it’s only because she is open to finding love all around her.
Bianca is a musician who’s afraid of performing. Even though she has a solid group of friends telling her how amazing she is, stage fright can come for us all.
Their grocery store meet-cute should have been the start of something, it gets awkward with Penny starting to stumble over her words and instead of sticking around to even find out each other’s names, they’re both gone in a flash. That should be it, but they seem to keep running into each other, which is fate working to bring them together. Then Bianca drops coffee on Penny’s backpack and Penny knocks over a coffee grinder, making both of them stop and finally talk to one another…
I’m an awkward person when I first meet people, so the whole stumbling over words, making a fool of yourself thing felt very autistic and I felt seen. 👉🏻👈🏻 There is a lot of great representation in this less than 200 page book. Not only were there characters of every color (including one with vitiligo and one with albinism), there are also ones from many different letters of the gay alphabet. The character info at the back of the book shows the flags that represent each of them.
This was so sweet that I got a toothache and I loved it so much. If you love Heartstopper, Daybreak, Bloom, Mooncakes or Lovely Recipe, you’re going to LOVE this book!
Thank you to Little Bee/Yellow Jacket books for my gifted finished copy of Sunflowers and Lavender.
Penny is a hopeless romantic who loves to bake. She’s had her fair share of exes, but it’s only because she is open to finding love all around her.
Bianca is a musician who’s afraid of performing. Even though she has a solid group of friends telling her how amazing she is, stage fright can come for us all.
Their grocery store meet-cute should have been the start of something, it gets awkward with Penny starting to stumble over her words and instead of sticking around to even find out each other’s names, they’re both gone in a flash. That should be it, but they seem to keep running into each other, which is fate working to bring them together. Then Bianca drops coffee on Penny’s backpack and Penny knocks over a coffee grinder, making both of them stop and finally talk to one another…
I’m an awkward person when I first meet people, so the whole stumbling over words, making a fool of yourself thing felt very autistic and I felt seen. 👉🏻👈🏻 There is a lot of great representation in this less than 200 page book. Not only were there characters of every color (including one with vitiligo and one with albinism), there are also ones from many different letters of the gay alphabet. The character info at the back of the book shows the flags that represent each of them.
This was so sweet that I got a toothache and I loved it so much. If you love Heartstopper, Daybreak, Bloom, Mooncakes or Lovely Recipe, you’re going to LOVE this book!
Thank you to Little Bee/Yellow Jacket books for my gifted finished copy of Sunflowers and Lavender.
April 30, 2026
A wonderfully simplistic middle grade graphic novel centering LGBTQ+ friendship, romance, and whimsey on every beautifully designed page! I could speak for hours on the character designs alone; each outfit represents a different pride flag—how amazing is that? This is exactly the kind of novel children need during these troubling times, full of censorship and hateful behavior; a pretty, pastel light in the dark abyss of our country! I also greatly admire the focus on friendship rather than romance—queer friends are so often overlooked in literary media in favor of romantic love. Platonic love is just as beautiful, and Valais not only does a brilliant job of detailing exactly that, but also of the ups and downs of childhood crushes. Adorable, important, and all around gorgeous!
November 24, 2025
An adorable meet-cute graphic novel involving art, music, baking, and a solid LGBTQ+ cast of characters.
This story felt like just a beginning, so hopefully there's more of the story to come. I didn't really enjoy the art style, but I know some of my students will be fans. Probably not one I'll purchase, but definitely one that a few niche students would enjoy.
I read an ARC from Edelweiss.
This story felt like just a beginning, so hopefully there's more of the story to come. I didn't really enjoy the art style, but I know some of my students will be fans. Probably not one I'll purchase, but definitely one that a few niche students would enjoy.
I read an ARC from Edelweiss.
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May 1, 2026The art was pretty cute, like Rainbow Brite but even gayer. I liked the rep, or at least the attempts at rep, I guess? But overall the plot didn't exist and the writing was rough to get through. I thought this may have been a webtoon released by a teenager, but this does not seem to be the case. IDK, other people seem to love it but I would not recommend this one on the strength of its storytelling.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus
This graphic novel reminded me a bit of Tessier's Chloe books, which are set in France. The characters both have very overwrought reactions to everything, and the plot was rather slim. I will probably pass on purchase for my middle school library. Fans of anime will probably enjoy this one more than I did.
This graphic novel reminded me a bit of Tessier's Chloe books, which are set in France. The characters both have very overwrought reactions to everything, and the plot was rather slim. I will probably pass on purchase for my middle school library. Fans of anime will probably enjoy this one more than I did.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC. I thought the art was very colorful and pretty, but despite everything that was happening the story lacked true depth and character development. teen readers will most likely like this one, as it is a solid LGBTQ representation. But adults shouldn't expect too much from the plot.
May 5, 2026
Sometimes, we just need to acknowledge that people are people and regardless of gender orientation we just want the same thing and have human connection. This comic explores topics that happen when young minds are just starting to explore what it is to be with someone else and it is just adorable. The illustrations are super cute.
April 13, 2026
gorgeous, sweet, and candid. I cant think of a single thing I didn't enjoy about this book.
May 6, 2026
So cute and light
May 8, 2026
they were so adorable!!!!!!!!!!
May 31, 2023
thank u to covid, who was the reason i was sadly scrolling pintrest and saw the info page for therese, my beloved, and fell in love ❤️🩹❤️🩹
no but this comic is so cute and incredibly underrated. i mean yes it’s so far unfinished but (don’t come at me for this) i preferred this to heartstopper. i connected with this characters and the art style OH MY GOSH!!
no but this comic is so cute and incredibly underrated. i mean yes it’s so far unfinished but (don’t come at me for this) i preferred this to heartstopper. i connected with this characters and the art style OH MY GOSH!!
December 28, 2022
3,5/5
es muy hermoso pero creo que le hace falta más historia, o al menos más continuidad al momento de subir los capitulos
muy muy tierno y las vibes son hermosas, espero que la autora siga con la historia
es muy hermoso pero creo que le hace falta más historia, o al menos más continuidad al momento de subir los capitulos
muy muy tierno y las vibes son hermosas, espero que la autora siga con la historia
June 30, 2022
Muito fofinho 🥺💕 nunca vi algo com tanta representatividade, ansiosa pelas atualizações
May 27, 2023
this is so cute, i'm just sad it's so short and the author hasn't updated in a while /3 but i'll be waiting for updates cause i'm so in love with these characters
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews