“Tillie Walden is the future of comics, and On a Sunbeam is her best work yet. It’s a ‘space’ story unlike any you’ve ever read, with a rich, lived-in universe of complex characters.” —Brian K. Vaughan, Saga and Paper Girls

Two timelines. Second chances. One love.

A ragtag crew travels to the deepest reaches of space, rebuilding beautiful, broken structures to piece the past together.

Two girls meet in boarding school and fall deeply in love—only to learn the pain of loss.

With interwoven timelines and stunning art, award-winning graphic novelist Tillie Walden creates an inventive world, breathtaking romance, and an epic quest for love.

LA Times Festival of Books 2018 Book Prize Winner, Graphic Novel/Comics
A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2018
One of The Washington Post's "10 Best Graphic Novels of 2018"
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2018
A YALSA Top Ten Great Graphic Novel
A 2019 Hugo Award Nominee, Best Graphic Story
A Harvey Award Nominee, Book of the Year
A Harvey Award Nominee, Best Children's or Young Adult Book

Tillie Walden is a cartoonist and illustrator from Austin, TX. She is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies, where she now teaches. As of 2022, she has published three graphic novellas with the London based Avery Hill Publishing and three with First Second Books, including her Eisner Award-winning memoir Spinning. She currently lives in Lebanon, New Hampshire with her cat Stan.

Categories

• Young Adult Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels / Science Fiction
• Young Adult Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels / LGBTQ+

Product Details

ISBN: 9781250178145
ISBN-10: 1250178142
Publisher: First Second
Publication Date: October 2nd, 2018
Pages: 544
Language: English

Recommended Reading Level

Minimum Age: 12
Maximum Age: 18
Minimum Grade Level: 7
Maximum Grade Level: UP

“Magnificent.” —The New Yorker

“Walden creates the intoxicating effect of a universe as mysterious as our real one.” —The Atlantic

“Phenomenal . . . Utterly mesmerizing . . . A remarkable, stunning comic.” —Booklist, starred review

“This masterful blend of science fiction–inflected school drama, road trip, and adventure is nothing less than marvelous.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A stunning interpretation of interstellar life . . . Bound to be a sci-fi favorite, especially for teens who also appreciated Nina LaCour’s We Are Okay." —School Library Journal, starred review

"On A Sunbeam is an intimate, cosmic, and sometimes deeply funny work of art that is hopefully not the last glimpse of Walden’s science fantasy world." —VOYA Magazine, starred review

“Both gently romantic and heartbreaking, the story ultimately celebrates love and the importance of chosen family. An affirming love story.” —Kirkus

“Watching Mia and Grace rekindle their love against the backdrop of a bleak, mystifying universe is deeply satisfying.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“[A] pageturning and profoundly moving read.” —Horn Book

“Tillie Walden is the future of comics, and On a Sunbeam is her best work yet. It’s a ‘space' story unlike any you’ve ever read, with a rich, lived-in universe of complex characters.” –Brian K. Vaughan, Saga series and Paper Girls

“On a Sunbeam is a rare treat. It’s both a slow-burn romance and a found-family space opera adventure with an engaging cast of characters. But it’s the world building that really stands out, with a blend of SF and fantasy in a gloriously strange setting that is so brilliantly original I have no idea how to describe it. I enjoyed every bit of it.” —Martha Wells, author of The Murderbot Diaries and The Books of the Raksura

“Enthralling, beautiful, and compelling. I couldn't put this down.” —Ann Leckie, author of Ancillary Justice

“On A Sunbeam strikes a magical balance between trippy and tangible, heartbreaking and hilarious. It was so easy to curl up in the art and lose myself in the story.” —Becky Chambers, author of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet