Robin’s Worlds

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 her 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. (Dec.)