One day a paper airplane floats in through an open window, followed the next day by a little boy looking for his plane. She is afraid of everything and never leaves her home. Elise is a middle-aged woman wearing a checked dress and apron, with her hair worn in tightly coiled buns on the sides of her head. "In this German import (by way of New Zealand), a lonely, fearful woman named Elise lives alone in her tiny, gray house until a sky-blue paper airplane and a boy named Emil bring changes to her life. Damm emphasizes how much people need others to care about, and readers will enjoy going back over the pages to see how the colors change."― Publishers Weekly ( Journal) Elise's house fills with color―warm yellow, fuchsia, and red―and we see her smile. Sure enough, the boy and Elise begin a most unexpected friendship. 'And can I visit your bathroom? It's urgent!' As the boy heads upstairs, he leaves a trail of color behind him, and readers sense that things are going to change. Apron-wearing Elise likes to clean her home, but she doesn't like to leave it: 'Elise was scared of everything./ So she never went out./ Night or day.' A blue paper airplane sails in through the window of the dimly lit, grayscale house, and the following morning, there's a knock at the door. "To make the book's spreads, German artist Damm ( Waiting for Goliath) draws the tale's characters, then places their cutout figures in a small, tidy abode with furnishings crafted of paper and board, and photographs them inside.
VERDICT Simply gorgeous in pictures and words, this is a terrific read-aloud selection and a great story to spark conversation."―starred, School Library Journal ( Journal) The illustrations are three-dimensional with the contrast of paper cutouts for characters and other design elements throughout. A full and heartwarming story about the power of companionship that will delight young readers and have older ones wanting to learn more about Elise's path through life. He is forthright with Elise and finds his way into her home and her heart. The owner of the paper airplane is an outgoing young boy, eager to retrieve his toy. With it comes in swaths of colors, brightening the pages as well as the mood of the story and its protagonist. The illustrations remain in monochrome, capturing a bit of sadness and loneliness until the arrival of the blue paper airplane. This appealing picture book draws in readers right from the endpapers, which are like peeking into a perfectly detailed black-and-white diorama. One day, upon cracking a window to let in fresh air, a paper airplane lands in her living room, opening the door to Elise's whole world. "Panophobic Elise never goes out, night or day, and she likes her house to be perfectly tidy.
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