The Visitor

This unusual book for children is translated from the German. It tells the story of an anxious older woman, Elise, who is fearful of just about everything and will not leave her house. She cleans obsessively, so is quite flummoxed when something flies in through her window one day. It is a paper

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airplane, and she immediately throws it into the fire.

The next morning, a little boy, Emil, comes to her door asking if she has his airplane.

Then he wanted to use the bathroom, look around, ask questions about everything, and have Elise read a storybook to him. He even wanted her to play with him! She fed him when he was hungry, and he ended up spending the whole day with Elise. When he left, “Elise knew exactly what she wanted to do.” And so she makes a paper airplane. At the end, there are bright circles on Elise’s cheeks, and her house, previously shown in variations of gray, is bathed in primary colors.

The author/illustrator uses 3-dimensional images, mixed-media, and a palette that tells the story in tones as well as in words. Elise’s drab, monotone life blazes into bright colors with Emil’s visit. Most creatively, Elise and Emil are both shown as cut-outs.

Evaluation: This is a lovely story of intergenerational friendship. Children may have some questions they can discuss with parents: How does Elise get food if she doesn’t go out? How does she get household supplies? What changes has Emil brought to Elise? Will Emil come back?

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