After multiple listens to this piece on separate occasions, the melody at the beginning is what stuck with me the most. It's very catchy and I also think it captures the warmth, innocence and excitement you're going for in essence. There's something very fun and playful about the way the intro melody is handled - I get the sense of a small being in a big world, which is fitting given the art inspiration.
Where the piece starts to lose me is when it starts going into sections that either aren't the hook or based around the hook. I get the sense that some elements of mystery and strangeness were trying to be evoked here. For me, unfortunately, a melody like the one that immediately follows the hook at 0:47 comes across more as incohesive and doesn't have the same charm as the previous sections. It's a shame because I think there's a great basis here with the chords and the choice for the lead, but the melody feels more like it grinds the piece to a halt than evoke a sense of progression.
Later sections such as the one starting at 1:32 were good, especially when the melody at the beginning is slightly referenced as it follows a similar contour and chord progression. I also like when the piece just kind of vibes here and doesn't have any melody. It's a nice blend of instruments, but again, leading to 2:03, the buildup to this section feels underwhelming as the seems like it doesn't really go anywhere.
Overall the main hook (the one starting at 0:15) is what holds this entry together for me and I'm glad to hear it pop up at the beginning, middle and end. I do like what this piece is going for, but when the melodies feel aimless in the middle sections, it causes the composition to feel incohesive. Consider this: how can you create sections that melodically evoke strangeness and excitement without feeling like they halt the forward momentum of the piece?