Oasis

Siblings JieJie and DiDi are “left-behind children” living on their own in the desert landscape surrounding utopian Oasis City, in which their mother works tirelessly to save money so the kids can live there with her. After their mother misses their daily phone call— an occurrence that requires JieJie and Didi to brave sandstorms and the constantly shifting dunes on their trek to the desert’s lone pay phone—the children embark on an unexpected journey to the local dumping ground. While digging through Oasis City’s discarded, obsolete tech, they encounter a robot and activate its Mother mode, hoping it will help them navigate their parent’s sudden absence until her planned return for the annual moon festival. Soft lines and simple character designs by Guojing (The Only Child) emphasize JieJie and DiDi’s youthful vulnerability and optimism amid a somber landscape devastated by pollution and climate change. The delicate pencil shading evokes a powerful sense of tone and atmosphere, while large uncluttered panels inject a feeling of intimacy even in the vast desert. It’s an evocative and moving graphic novel tale of sacrifice and what it means to be a family. Ages 8–12. (Feb.)