ROBIN'S WORLDS

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.