Robin's Worlds

by Rainie Oet, Mathias Ball (illustrator)

A nonbinary child is whisked off on a spellbinding adventure for their birthday in this dazzling tale of friendship, community, and self-love.It’s Robin’s eighth birthday and it seems like everyone has forgotten. But things take a sudden turn when the Cat-Headed Wanderer shows up and sweeps Robin away to a magical party in a fantastical treehouse. It’s a joyful celebration full of song, dance, and newfound friends, but Robin soon realizes there’s another reason they’ve been brought there. To uncover that reason, all Robin needs to do is walk through the half-open door in the back—but what lies beyond? Rainie Oet’s enchanting language and Mathias Ball’s stunning illustrations will sweep young readers off their feet, as they follow Robin on this fantastical and deeply moving adventure of discovering themself through the joy of new friends and the memory of loved ones lost along the way.

Genres: Picture Books, LGBT, Childrens, Queer, Genderfluid, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

Published December 3, 2024

About the author

Rainie Oet writes fiction and poetry for young readers and adults.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Robins Worlds is a colourful and captivating illustrated story for children about a young nonbinary child called Robin. Robin is an orphan who lost their parents at a young age and who lives with their uncle. One night, Robin is swept away in a dream to a magical place where they find new friends, love, peace, and acceptance. The message in this story is so beautiful and heartfelt and filled with positivity for young readers. I especially enjoyed that this book featured a nonbinary character, which isn't something I've come across before now in a picture book. The illustrations are bright and magical with plenty to discover.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another GORGEOUSLY illustrated picture book from Mathias Ball, that is full of whimsy, love and a beautiful story featuring an 8 year old nonbinary child celebrating their birthday. Orphaned at a young age, Robin lives with their uncle and in one of their dreams gets whisked away to a magical world full of acceptance, love and new friends.

Heartwarming, affirming and full of positive messages, this is sure to delight young readers and become an instant favorite! Perfect for fans of books like Still my Tessa. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this picture book coming out in December 2024!

[Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was just darn precious.
The artwork in this is just beautiful! I loved the detailed, colourful illustrations.

The concept of this book is wonderful, and the story was sweet.

It was just really lovely.

[Steff Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin’s Worlds is pure childhood fantasy. And for that, I think the book’s artwork gets nearly everything right—the colors are bright, the visuals are engaging, the characters are gorgeous. There is no question in my mind that the book has every ability to draw young children to it and keep them flipping the pages.

Unfortunately, problems set in when we actually look at both the language and the story itself. I really wanted to like this book, but from the second I started reading I knew that the writing had some serious problems. The most egregious, of course, is that we truly have very little understanding of what is actually happening in the story—and I say this as an adult. If I have no idea what is going on, how can the author expect a child to?

It’s clear that it has something to do with a birthday—have the adults in this child’s life forgotten the birthday? Is this the first birthday after a tragedy? Are they all busy working? Have they moved? Do they have no friends for a party? Is this lack of birthday party due to their non-binary status? What is it, exactly, that has brought us and this child to this place? Why is it that our poor Robin has to rely on their imagination to celebrate their birthday? And by the time I’ve finished reading, I’m left with more questions than answers.

I appreciate the characters, as the characters are all lovely. I adore Robin and their imaginary friends. I love Robin’s uncle. I’m curious about their parents. But part of the problem is that I truly don’t understand what the connections are and why they are they way they are.

Suffice to say, the writing is also very advanced and stilted. I don’t think this is the sort of book I would want to read to a young child, not only because I don’t think it’s very clear about what is happening, but also because the writing just isn’t good enough. The sentence structure doesn’t work and there’s nothing in here that flows melodically enough for a kid to want to listen to.

I’m a pretty strong advocate for children’s books that are within accessible understanding for specific age groups. This isn’t the kind of book that you could give to an emerging reader as a result of its language, therefore I see this as the sort of book that you want to sit down with your baby or toddler and read to them. But when we have books like that, those books should have a flow to them. There should be language that they will understand and be able to interact with. I’m all for growing vocabularies, but you can’t just throw a ton of it at a kid and expect them to pick it all up.

So, yes, I really wanted to like this book. And I’ll definitely recommend it to non-binary children I meet should that ever occur—but I feel that is truly more so because this book has a non-binary main character in it and those are so far and few between and not because the story or writing is actually any good.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Christine]

Cool art, but genuinely hard to follow what was going on. Wasn’t sure how to rate this. It was neat to find a kid’s book at the library with a non-binary child though so I’m glad I gave it a try.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an arc of this book.

This was very cute! I loved the art work, the colors and the designs were so pretty! Would definitely recommend especially considering it has a nonbinary main character, which is great because that's very rare in children's books!
Sorry if the review sounds a bit incoherent, I'm in a lot of pain today and the pain meds I took for it are making me a bit loopy...

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin feels different from others and thinks that the birthday has been forgotten, too. Away they go on an imaginary journey to a fantastic world and learns that there are others out there, too.
The artistry of the illustrations by Mathias Ball are so colorful and full of imagination.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to EVERYONE, but especially to a school, hospital, or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC on Adobe Digital Editions from Astra Publishing House | Astra Young Readers via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Dec 03, 2024

[Elliel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to cry. I would have loved a book like this when I was little. I'm glad it exists now. All kids deserve to be represented in the media made for them. This is a cute picture book with beautiful, colorful art

[Patricia Q · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had no idea what was going on. It looked like some trippy dream.

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly this art style is immaculate, the combination between the reds and greens is so visually pleasing, I love it. I believe this book would be a good tool to help children learn and understand they/them pronouns and that this would be a perfect book for a story time; its a little complex for children but visually and engaging enough to be read aloud. My only critique is that the storyline can be a little jumpy at times but I don’t think kids will care or notice.

Happy birthday NetGalley

[Zsófi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for providing the ARC!

Picture books for young children can sweep me off my feet easily with great art and/or intimate story about a topic that needs to be shown to kids in a sensitive matter - and Robin's Worlds is no different. The infinite dimension of the drawing style, the cozy use of colors grabbed my attention with only one look of the cover, and the illustrations themselves are wonderful are radiant. This miraculous set of images hides a charming story of community, working together, healing and grief processing. Joyful and heartwarming.

[WallofText · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Digital Copy provided by Netgalley]

Actual rating 3.5 stars

Cute with a sweet message. While I liked the illustrations and the design in general, a lot of the crowd scenes were too messy for me to distinguish and the story is a bit generic. Still cute though!

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin is feeling lonely and forgotten on their birthday. A magical moment in time allows for a celebration like none Robin has experienced before and there are memories of parents who loved Robin and reminders of the Uncle that loves Robin still. Back at home there is a purple cake and a birthday celebration as every child deserves.

This is quite a celebration of the worth of all children, especially those who feel alone in the world.

[Crimson Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this children's book

I was with a friend and putting her little one to sleep reading this to her and she adored it, she loved how colourful it was and all the imaginary friends Robin has (which I then said to them - they may have imaginary but it shows how the brain can create beautiful things if u allow urself to have no limitations)

This book was colourful and vibrant with a sweet story about a little girl celebrating her birthday

My mate's child loved it ❤️ I asked her to rate it and so we have all the stars hehe 😊

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin is a nonbinary kiddo who’s sitting at home on their birthday. When they’re suddenly whisked away to a magical, warm land of joy, color, and individuality, they celebrate with new friends — and learn that this can be a part of their reality, too.

Such a precious and beautifully illustrated story (particularly for queer kids) about finding your people. ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is for the non-binary kids. The kids who have lost someone they love and feel alone. The kids who can forget that there are others who love them, and more people out in the world waiting to get the chance to love them. Robin lives with their uncle, and it’s their 8th birthday. They’re home alone with no one to celebrate with until the mystical Cat-Headed Wanderer bursts in and whisks them away on flying horses to a tree house filled with friends like Ronnie the Roadbull and Molly with her seven eyes, all waiting to party with Robin on their 8th birthday. Robin has a great time with everyone, feeling the best they have in a while until they find a quiet room with pictures of Robin’s parents and their uncle. They’re reminded of who they have and love, and after a final speech to the party goers, Robin is brought home. Where their uncle is waiting for them, and the promise of friends out in the world waiting to be found. The illustrations of the creatures are beautiful and fantastical. The colors are bright and warm in the party and cooler and muted when Robin is working through their sad feelings. It’s a love letter to those needing a reminder that they are loved. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Morrigan Gaines · Rating 4 out of 5]

** I received an e-ARC of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest review**

Solid 3.5 stars but I couldn't fall in love with it as much as I hoped.

The representation, characters and art is what really makes this book stand out. But I kept feeling like there was something missing in the details. Even from the perspective of a children's picture book, the conflict was never clear but several issues were hinted at. This left me feeling a little disconnected from the emotional aspect of the story.
Some questions:
Why is Robin alone in their basement?
Is this their first birthday without their parents?
Why do they want to stay in their imagination/this other world?
Who are the shadowy figures? Are they their parents?

The writing style reminded me of some picture books I read growing up with its specific details. It did seem to be written at a higher reading level than I expected due to the way the sentences were structured.

Its a beautiful book with an interesting premise. I would suggest it for jts representation but kids may have questions that are hard for adults to answer just because the answers aren't in the text.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept of this book, of a non-binary child having an adventure with imaginary creatures when they think that everyone has forgotten their birthday. And I do admit that the pictures are lovely.

Only problem, I have with this book, is that we have no idea what is going on. The creature that comes to take Robin to this world is said to have last visited when their mother and uncle were children. But how would Robin know that?

Are their parents dead? We can only guess. We see ghostly images, and references to when they were around, but no more.

And perhaps this is not a book that has to make sense. Perhaps it is enough to look at the pretty pictures, and have the story be a non-binary child, and that is enough? Perhaps I am just not the right audience.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review to be added to Amazon US and UK on 3 December 2024 - publication day!

I really liked the idea behind this book but I felt that the illustrations were too dark for a book of this nature. My daughter is 7 so will be Robin's age on her next birthday and I have to admit as a parent, having read the book myself it is not one I will be reading with her.

It felt more like a nightmare sequence with the colours used but it could be a book that others do enjoy. It didn't stand out for me amongst the other Children's books that are available in this genre. The text used was not age friendly for me and I didn't really like the illustrations for the book either.

It is 2 stars from me for this one, give it a go, some other reviews are more positive - but honestly, just wasn't one for me

[Mees · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75/5
I was mesmerised by the cover. The colours and artstyle is so beautiful and magical. The colour palette is very warm and and inviting. Though, I think some of the panels are a bit too busy and overwhelming. And some have a bit of a creepy vibe.

(Slight spoilers below)

I have a bit mixed feelings about the story. I love how the author involves Robin's parents and celebrates the memories of people Robin lost. I think it's an important topic for young kids to read about. What I didn't really like was the sudden switch from how thankful and happy Robin was to suddenly having to go back home. I wished there were a few extra panels for that scene.
However I think the ending was done beautifully.

Thank you Netgalley and Astra Young Readers for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Jesse · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t understand what was going on in the story as an adult, so I’m very confused as to how this is a good book for a child to read. Especially for a child that may already be struggling with identity and community. First off, why is a 8 year old alone in their uncles basement? Where are their parents? Whats the point of the story? It didn’t leave me feeling anything except confused. My child literally said “happy Halloween!” once I had finished reading it to her, which shows that she also had no idea what this book was about. This isn’t a nice story to read, nor does it make any sense and it’s written very poorly. I wouldn’t recommend it.

[Seras23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cute, and it the concept is nice, but the execution is lacking. The art is absolutely beautiful and enchanting, but the writing is uneven. The story itself is underdeveloped, choppy, and confusing. It felt as though there should have been a lot more context or history for some of the characters and some of the things happening, but there was none. It's not a bad book, but I think it had the potential to be so much better. Still, the concept is there and the art is gorgeous, and readers will root for Robin and hope for happier days ahead.

[Ande Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin's Worlds is a very cute children's picture book about Robin, a non-binary kiddo, celebrating their 8th birthday. Most of the story takes place in a fantasy world that Robin finds after following a Cat-Headed Wanderer.

This is not a plot-heavy book, but the illustrations are gorgeous, & I loved all of the fantastical characters that were introduced.

Thanks to NetGalley, Astra Publishing, and Rainie Oet for the chance to read and review!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley. This does not influence my opinion.

This was a perfectly cute picture book.
I think, this is one of those picture books that it just fun to read and look at. While it is showing queer people living regular lives and having dreams, I don't think children will get the message. They will definitely love the beautiful and colorful illustrations though.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really cute book about a non-binary character named Robin, who celebrates their birthday with all of their imaginary and dream friends. They remind Robin they are never alone. Such a sweet story and a great message. Would make a good elementary school read aloud but best as one-on-one to fully appreciate the beautiful illustrations.

[Erica Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nonbinary main character in a children's book. This is great! The story felt a little haphazard, but the modern character representation was where the story really shined.

Fun, whimsical art that conveyed the magic of the moment.

[Kimberly Zavala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations are a powerful element to the story. Aside from the use of the they/ them pronoun, the point of the story is very subtle, so much in fact that I was looking for the plot. Maybe that was intentional but if felt like something was missing for me.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Turns out it's especially for "trans and queer and nonbinary kids" but also for anyone who feels left alone for whatever reason and needs to know that things will get better. Also would fit 'music' & 'tree house' themes, and I added it to the emotional health theme, too.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book but the pages were just too wordy and there wasn't a great flow. The sentiment and illustrations were lovely though.

[Josh Campeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

A birthday story about a non-binary child which provides great representation for any queer or non-binary people in your life.