An explosion of color, light and life.
The Visitor
A story about friendship and shyness, full of light and colour, that plays out in a mini theatre. A book for kids and all ages.
Written by Antje Damm
Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer
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Description
Elise was frightened—of spiders, people, even trees. So she never went out, night or day.
One day a strange thing flies in through the window and lands at her feet. And then there comes a knock at the door. Elise has a visitor who will change everything.
This is a gentle, sympathetic story about a child who unwittingly brings light and colour—literally—into a lonely person’s life.
A children’s book for all ages.
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Book Details
Country of Origin Germany Reader Age 2-5 year, 5-7 year Book Size ISBN
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Reviews
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Reviews
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The Visitor does a great job of making profound and complex themes like loneliness and anxiety accessible and meaningful to young audiences. There is real depth to this picturebook that will stay with children long after reading and give them much to think about – not least a way to reflect on their experiences of lockdown…Damm’s artwork has a special luminosity and depth that makes it hugely inviting, and the gradual addition of colour says so much about Elise’s changing emotions.
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…the woman’s joyful, satisfied expression is very likely to be mirrored on the faces of young readers.
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The Visitor is a sweet, heartwarming tale about opening and growing young, reminding us the value of play and human interaction despite the fear, the disappointment and that feeling of just wanting to hide from the world that many of us experience to some extent in our lives.
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A truly magical book.
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Best Picture Books of 2018
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German author/illustrator Antje Damm uses intriguing illustrations, created with cutout figures posed against dioramas, to tell the story of a visit made by a boy to a reclusive woman that brings color to her life.
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In Antje Damm’s remarkable “The Visitor,” a boy rushes into a lonely woman’s black-and-white 3-D collage world, bringing an explosion of color, light and life.
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The miniature sepia scenes of her house, filled with cardboard furniture, are gradually brought to life by washes of colour as her small visitor begins to dispel Elise’s anxious loneliness.
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In the final spread, the colors are bright; Elise’s cheeks are rosy and her heart is content. A sweet, tender story of a friendship found.
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Gorgeous in pictures & words, this is a terrific read-aloud selection & a great story to spark conversation.
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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.
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The art work is a mix of diorama, card cut-outs, and photography with a focus on the use of colour. It is quite simply, a wonderful work of art and a story to treasure. There are so many older people out there who could all do with a little Emil in their lives
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German author Antje Damm pens a timely and moving exploration of loneliness in The Visitor.
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Available worldwide from your local bookstore or online.
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Children’s Book Committee –
Best Children’s Book of the Year 2019 List: Under Five