Robin's Worlds

October 1, 2024
A child dreams of friendship. Robin, a nonbinary kid who lives with their uncle Miles, sits alone in the basement, bored and lonely, as they do every night. Suddenly, a "tall figure in a thundery coat" enters: the Cat-Headed Wanderer. The dapper, anthropomorphic feline whisks Robin to a magical purple treehouse filled with mystical characters from Robin's dreams. Everyone has come together to celebrate Robin's birthday. Elated, the child feels "like their body is made of feathers or flowers all opening at once." When Robin announces their plans to stay here forever, the Cat-Headed Wanderer interjects: "Actually, this is just for tonight. But we exist in the real world. There are so many of us...You just have to find us." Abruptly, the party ends, and Robin returns home; soon after, Uncle Miles walks in with a birthday cake. Robin falls asleep that night, happy and hopeful for "friends just waiting to be found." Ball's swirling comic images set an enchanting tone but do little to make up for the awkward flow of the story. And while it's heartening to see a nonbinary child centered in a picture book, Oet's sudden transitions and piecemeal revelations are likely to leave readers confused rather than uplifted. Midway through the party, for instance, Robin is presented with old photos of them with their mother and father, but it's never clear where their parents are now or why Robin is so lonely. Human characters are tan-skinned. An uneven plot leaves this tale without much sparkle.(Picture book. 5-7)

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November 2, 2024

PreS-Gr 2-Robin is a nonbinary child who lives with an uncle. It is a big night for Robin as it is their birthday, but sadly, it appears that everyone has forgotten. Enter a besuited cat-headed wanderer who takes Robin on an otherworldly adventure and introduces them to new friends and old who help celebrate their birthday. As the story develops, readers will gather that Robin's placement with Uncle Miles is permanent. Although the author does not state what occurred to take Robin's parents from their life, the story culminates in a scene depicting photos of young Robin growing up. It is in this scene that Robin tells their parents that they remember them and shows gratitude to Uncle Miles. The illustrator uses rich colors of deep and bright reds and blues to invite readers into the story, although some illustrations are effusively overwhelming and difficult to correlate with the text. Robin's pronouns are they/them/theirs. VERDICT Families come in all sizes and shapes, warmly shown here; this book is recommended for libraries to add any shelves on ever-expanding inclusivity.-Misty Schattle

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 16, 2024
Eight-year-old Robin’s birthday is “just like any other night”—the child sits with stuffed cat Skipper, and eats “leftover bean-fry for dinner.” Uncle Miles has yet to return home when the Cat-Headed Wanderer, “a tall figure in a thundery coat,” arrives and whisks the protagonist off to a fete attended by all of the friends from their dreams. Suddenly, the day becomes a joyous event with hundreds of fantastical creatures, all there to celebrate (the child feels “like their body is made of feathers or flowers all opening at once”). As the party continues, Robin intuits the presence of two beckoning shadows, “friendly and familiar,” that offer opportunity for remembrance. Lengthy, affecting narration from Oet, making their picture book debut, explores layers of grief and joy, while vibrant hues and detailed character designs from Ball (What If Bedtime Didn’t Exist?) breathe life into each dreamlike scene as the evening tenderly paves the way for a solitary child to find connection in the real world (“There are so many of us, you have no idea”). Robin and their uncle have light brown skin; background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Abigail Frank, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. Illustrator’s agent: Natascha Morris, Tobias Literary.