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.

3,75/5 stars
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!

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.

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

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

This book is a magical treat for young readers, perfect for anyone who loves adventure and discovering themselves. On Robin’s eighth birthday, when it seems like everyone has forgotten, they are whisked away by the Cat-Headed Wanderer to a fantastical treehouse party. There, amidst singing, dancing, and new friends, Robin embarks on a heartwarming journey of self-discovery. Rainie Oet’s beautiful writing and Mathias Ball’s enchanting illustrations create a captivating world where friendship and self-love shine. This story is a wonderful blend of joy and introspection, making it a memorable read for children and a celebration of finding one’s place in the world.

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

This is such a beautiful story about celebrating self-love, friendship, and community. I love the imagination world that Robin escapes too and can see children loving this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Astra Young Readers, and Rainie Oet for the early access copy of Robin’s Worlds.

Robin’s Worlds is the story of a nonbinary child who is swept into their vivid imaginary world. With visually stunning illustrations and an eye-catching color palette, Robin’s Worlds is a beautiful book. However, the story could use more context at the beginning and simpler language if the intended audience is younger children.

Thank you Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Robin’s Worlds is about a non-binary child, Robin, who worries that everyone has forgotten their birthday. While in their room, they get swept away into a colourful, magical world that helps them realize just how special and loved they are!

This book is illustrated so beautiful. The use of shapes and colours is incredibly captivating and keeps your eyes stuck to the page. I really enjoyed the art style!

This story was beautiful. It held a wonderful message that I really enjoyed, but the story itself could have been improved with better writing. The beginning of the story was a bit confusing and took some time to understand. In a book with such few pages, this was a bit annoying.

There was a lot of context left to the imagination that I wish wasn’t. I wish we learned more about this magical world. I also wish we had a bit more background context such as Robin’s parents.

This isn’t very plot-heavy, but more so just beautiful illustrations. It is nice to see a non-binary character and I hope we see more representation such as this in future books.

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.

This book has beautiful artwork and a fun imaginary world. However, it seemed to jump into the story without giving much background.

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 😊

** 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.

Robin is a nonbinary child who is turning 8 years old and feels like everyone forgot. But when the Cat-Headed Wanderer appears, they realize just how special and loved they are. This was such an adorable book that subtly uses nonbinary pronouns when talking about Robin. I really loved this book from the words to the beautiful pictures that drew me in. You can feel Robin's sadness and their happiness when they realize how loved they are!

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.

Robin's Worlds is a picture book that follows Robin, a nonbinary 8 year old, on their birthday to a magical world. The illustrations throughout this book are breathtakingly gorgeous, and really elevate the story. The text itself is meaningful, but at times confusing. I think it may have worked better if Robin was closer in age to the kids this is targeted to, and if some of the backstory was more fleshed out on page. I appreciated the subtlety of using they/them pronouns throughout, without speaking more overtly about identity. This can help normalize its usage from an early age. Overall this was still a lovely read, and will be a good addition to any picture book library.

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!

This was a very pretty book. I just felt like I was missing something. It seemed to jump into something and I felt lost.

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.