The Robin of this story is a nonbinary child who is living with their uncle. And while there is reference to the mother in a few places, most noticeably at the end of the story, we never really know why Robin is not with their parents. Due to the way things are set up, I am assuming we must assume the mother passed away and the mystical journey that Robin takes on their birthday to another world is one of coming to terms with this loss.
Rainie Oet’s Robin’s Worlds had a slight “translation feel” to my “reading ear.” It did not feel as if English was the first language of Oet. However, I don’t seem to find that there was a translation. This gives the story an old flow to it. The story itself has a simplicity but also a sophistication that was unexpected, but not necessarily unpleasant. This is added to by the illustrations of Mathias Ball. Ball adds to the otherworldly tone with the colorful and busy details of both the real and imaginary worlds we are exploring.
The other part that made this slightly different and difficult for me to read was that I was reading via an online reader copy and it was not the most cozy or comfortable spot. I think this is a book that needs to be read by a reader who is at least a 7-year-old to a young reader, to about a 10-year-old reader who has a quiet reading spot. If you are reading it to a child, know their level of comfort for semi-spooky (we do have an Alice in Wonderland homage) and that you are settled in for a read.
Due early December 2024.
