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Poor Elise stays hidden from the world in her neat and tidy home. She never goes out, night or day because Elise is afraid of everything – spiders, people and even trees. No one ever knocks on her door. Until one day when she opened the window to let fresh air in something strange flies in and the next morning she hears a knocking at the door. Elise opens the door to find a visitor who will bring some colour her life.
The Visitor is a beautiful tale about loneliness and human connection. The story and dialogue is simple yet descriptive and full of emotion which is very appealing to young readers. Antje Damm did a wonderful job capturing the curious and innocent dialogue of a child and the hesitant gestures and speech of someone who has all but forgotten how to be with another person.
Damm’s diorama style illustrations portray the stark, lonely and anxious existence of Elise. She cleverly uses light and colour to change the mood of the book from poignant to cheerful. The illustrations alone tells a story of transformation and the growth of a friendship between carefree and fearful.
What a wonderful book! The cover art and title drew me in immediately. It made me curious to read so I could find out who the visitor was and I was not disappointed! The complimentary words and illustrations create a lot of emotion and sympathy making it a great story for young children.
Reviewed by Alana Bird
The Visitor
by Antje Damm
Published by Gecko Press
ISBN 9781776571888
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