A Summary of The Visit
In The Visit by Nuria Figueras, Little Fox's mother tells her not to let anyone in while she is home by herself. But Silence is not Anyone, and when it comes to visit, Little Fox welcomes Silence cautiously. As she spends time with Silence, she starts to enjoy its company and by the time her mother comes home, Little Fox has made a new friend.
About the Book
Simple and comforting, The Visit shows readers the value of Silence and invites them to appreciate the quiet. Figueras personifies Silence as a large creature which intimidates Little Fox at first. However, Silence's gentleness and quiet companionship wins Little Fox over. Together they share a snack and talk softly. Silence teaches Little Fox to dance to the rhythm of her own heartbeat when no music plays aloud. During its stay, Silence helps Little Fox to realize that sometimes she needs quiet to hear her own thoughts. She needs stillness to help her slow down and rest.
The story's reminder of the importance of stillness is especially relevant in today's noisy society. In a world constantly filled with music and videos indoors, and traffic and bustle outside, finding moments of quiet can be difficult. When those times of stillness come, it can be tempting to try to fill them back up. Yet, when we take time to dwell with the quiet, we find refreshment. Little Fox discovers the comfort of a friend in Silence, and in the same way, silence can bring us rest and a sense of calm.
About the Illustrations
Speaking of a sense of calm, the illustrations in this story were wonderfully cozy and calming. Throughout the book, Anna Font creates a beautiful contrast between the dark borders around the den and the bright yellow within Little Fox's home. Vibrant colors for birds and leaves are paired with muted background hues, giving richness to each spread. When Silence arrives, the illustrations leave plenty of open space, which helps add to the overall feel of comfort and quiet.
Final Thoughts
The Visit is the type of book that leaves the reader feeling warm, as though you've just taken a deep breath. It is the perfect story to read on a rainy day or for settling down at bedtime. For Christians, I think this book could also be a good teaching tool to pair with discussions about prayer and quiet time with God. Even though the book doesn't deal with any Biblical themes, the importance of silence is also important for our faith. We need quiet time to be able to pray and listen and to think about the Word of God. Silence gives us space for those things, blocking out the noise of the world for awhile and letting us dwell in stillness.
Karley Conklin
Karley Conklin is a librarian by day, a writer by night, and a bookworm 24/7. For more of her writing, visit litwyrm.com.
I love this!! The world is big and noisy. Kids get very little downtime. Very little quiet time. It’s so important for brain development to have some silence.
*going to Amazon now*