Lunar Boy

Transgender, brown-skinned Indu has always weathered big changes with his adoptive hijabi mother, who found him alone on an outlying moon during a space mission. Now, socially anxious Indu faces a move from their beloved community spaceship to neo-Indonesian New Earth, and while opportunities for connection abound—Indu must improve his Bahasa Indonesia with an after-school tutor, navigate living with a new parent and siblings, and correspond with a school-mandated pen pal, who is queer—he worries that New Earth society, while racially diverse, lacks consideration for his gender identity. Feeling isolated, Indu accepts when delegates from the moon of his origin offer to retrieve him on the night of the new year. But as the date approaches, and as Indu’s new friends and family make him feel more at home, he’s forced to consider where he belongs. Twin creators the Wibowos compose characters with striking light and shadow; this cinematic interplay intensifies moments of clarity and connection for Indu and others, while a radiant palette of warm, sun-drenched pinks and oranges underscore the vibrant community of care and support that envelop Indu. Reminiscent of Le Petit Prince, this lustrous debut graphic novel signals a much brighter future for its protagonist and those who relate to him. Ages 8–12. Agent: Britt Siess, Britt Siess Creative Management. (May)