The Visit - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

Apr 18
3 min read

Into our busy, active, noisy, sensory-filled world comes a beautifully touching and very poignant picture book which celebrates the companionship and gifts provided by solitude and silence. It's a wonderful book to help kids and adults discover a friend in silent moments.

Book cover - a young fox stands at the entrance to its den with an open wooden door, surrounded by colorful plant leaves.

The Visit

Author: Núria Figueras

Illustrator: Anna Font

Translator: Lawrence Schimel

Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (April 14, 2026)

Ages: 3 - 7

Fiction

Themes:

Solitude, silence, mindfulness, and emotions.

Synopsis:

Solitude, quiet, and independence are celebrated in this tender picture book about making friends with silence, perfect for SEL conversations about mindfulness, self-regulation, or alone time.

When her mother leaves the den, Little Fox expects to spend the next few hours by herself. But then she hears a knock at the door―she has a visitor.

At first, Little Fox is scared: Silence is so big and strange. Then they share a snack, and Silence helps her hear her heartbeat, even her own thoughts. Maybe time spent with Silence isn’t so bad after all. Maybe Silence can be her friend.

This allegorical story from Spanish author Núria Figueras was inspired by the first time she stayed home alone as a child―and by her experiences working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Young readers will welcome the book as a gentle exploration of solitude and independence.

Illustrated by Spanish artist Anna Font, the original edition of The Visit was selected for the White Ravens list and received the Fundacion Cuatrogatos Award and Compostela International Award. Translated from Catalan by Lawrence Schimel.

Opening Lines:

Before leaving, Little Fox’s mother told her:

“Remember, don’t open the door for anyone!

I’ll be back soon.”

She gave her daughter a hug, then left.

Little Fox remained in the den, all by herself.

Outside the sky grew dark and cloudy, but she could

still hear the squawking of the crows and the chattering

of the sparrows.

What I LOVED about this book:

I love the batik forested background that Anna Font used throughout the book and the loose shapes of the birds and the fox. They really stand out against the yellowish ground. This opening is perfectly relatable to a child - alone in their room at night (or time out, perhaps). Even though alone, as everything darkens, the little fox can still hear the birds.

Internal spread - against a batik-like background, a mother fox walks off to the left and a little fox cub stands at the entry of their den, with nine birds perching on the plants and the ground.

Text © Núria Figueras, 2023. Image © Anna Font, 2023.

I love the ensuing fun logic, when a visitor knocks on the door and the little fox eventually lets it in, because though Mom said not to open the door for anyone, the visitor says, “But I am not Anyone. I am Silence.” When a ginormous, white outlined shape fills the den, little fox fearfully begins to question their choice. It's interesting yellow background follows Silence into the den and the division between the den and the forest shifts to a gorgeous olive green band.

As the little fox interacts with Silence, having a snack and dancing, she discovers that Silence no longer fills the entire space and is actually a fun companion. Silence teaches little fox to hear (and dance) to the rhythm of her own heart and discover her inner thoughts. "Sometimes, there needs to be silence so you can hear them.”

Internal spread - a little fox sitting in side a den, back to back with a white outline (SIlence) as dots float up and around the den along with white leaf outlines and the white shape of a fish.

The simplicity of the illustrations beautifully complements the little fox's experience and emotional journey in discovering that Silence is not scary but offers the gift of special moments that can't exist in a busy, noise-filled space. I adore how Silence is depicted as an expanding and contracting outline, which was still able to interact with little fox. The ending is so sweet and powerful, with a stunning illustration shift that mirrors the opening spreads. I am so glad that Lawrence Shimel translated this modern fairytale (allegory) from the original Catalan. It's a wonderfully gentle and poignant celebration of silent moments.

Resources:

listen to your heartbeat in a quiet space and then make up your own dance with Silence.
create a quiet time routine in your family, where everyone spends some time without noisy distractions.

pair this with The Silence Slips In by Alison Hughes, Before Morning by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes, and Silence by Lemniscates.

If you missed my interview with Núria Figueras and Lawrence Schimel on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.