The first time you are old enough to be left home alone can feel both exciting and terrifying at the same time. But what if you have an unexpected guest knocking at the door?

Núria Figueras has a graduate degree in journalism and is currently the editor of the Spanish children’s magazine El Tatano. Her writing has been recognized with the Mercè Llimona and Comte Kurt prizes. The Visit is Núria’s English-language debut and has been translated into over ten other languages, including Japanese, Chinese, Turkish, Slovenian, Portuguese, and Dutch. Núria lives in Barcelona, Spain. You can learn more about her at her website.

THE VISIT tells the story of a young fox who is left home alone for the first time and told not to let anyone in. BUT then there’s a knock at the door. At first, I wondered if this story would follow the familiar steps of cautionary fairy tales, but it didn’t. I was pleasantly surprised when the guest was the personification of Silence and the story took on a more allegorical tone that even the youngest of readers could enjoy.

Welcome Nuria!

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey? When did you start writing picture books? How has that brought you to writing this picture book?

Núria: Hi, Jena! I’m really happy you invited me to your blog. Even though the internet connects us from anywhere on the planet, the idea that you are in Anchorage, Alaska, and I am in Barcelona is quite amazing to me 😊.

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember: as a child I loved inventing poems and stories, and I’ve never really stopped, except when my children were very young and I only wrote for work. I work for a Catalan children’s magazine, El Tatano, where I often have to write stories, sometimes on specific themes. We also organize children’s literature workshops where several writers meet to evaluate and give constructive feedback on each other’s stories. This has given me a lot of practice, especially in writing short texts. In fact, I wrote the story La visita for the magazine. However, the editorial board felt it wouldn’t stand out enough, since the stories in the magazine are very short, and the text had a rhythm that made it suitable for becoming a picture book.

Me: I love the concept of a little fox who is left at home alone and told not to open the door to anyone, then meets a new friend. It feels like a classic fairy tale I’ve read before! What gave you the idea for this story?

Núria: The idea came from remembering the first time I was left home alone. I must have been around nine years old, and my mother went out to run an errand. The moment she left and closed the door, the house filled with silence. For me, it was an unsettling feeling, because my house was always very noisy (I am the youngest of three siblings). From that memory, I built the story. I wanted the fox to feel afraid at the beginning, because I remember feeling afraid too. But I also wanted to turn that around, because now, for me, silence is very comforting. I was very clear that I wanted to convey that idea.

Me: Your text is deceptively simple. Did it undergo a ton of revisions to get to its finished state? Or was this story a gift from the muse that was good from the first draft?

Núria: I always do many revisions; it’s the part of the creative process I enjoy the most. It’s like polishing a clay figure once you’ve already shaped it. When I start writing, I do it in one go and very quickly, as if I were afraid the story in my head might escape. That’s why I enjoy the revision process: by then I’m calm, I’ve poured the story out, and now I have the pleasure of refining the words.

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?

Núria: In the case of The Visit, I was surprised by how smoothly the text flowed. In general, I find it hardest to find the tone of the stories I want to write, but once I find it, sometimes the text just comes naturally. That was the case with The Visit. I simply accompanied the fox through this difficult situation I had placed her in, and the two characters (the fox and silence) interacted in my mind in a very natural way. The narrative tension at the beginning (the fox opens the door even though her mother told her not to, and immediately regrets it and becomes afraid) makes the reader empathize with the fox, side with her, and experience the story with her. That also happened to me as the author.

Me: The illustrations by Anna Font are pitch perfect! They are simple and friendly, but also use a wonderful mishmash of colors. Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?

Núria: The illustrations by Anna Font are absolutely wonderful. Everything was a big surprise for me, since I had no influence at all on their creation. What I loved most was the expressive power of the character of silence: it was imposing and could be frightening, but also kind and welcoming. At the same time, it was very subtle: just a single white line. I thought it was brilliant. My favorite pages in the book are precisely the ones without text 😊.

Me: You have quite a few books published already. Are there any other projects we can look forward to reading from you?

Núria: In a few months, another Catalan picture book will be published called The Way, with illustrations by Sebastià Serrà, a great Catalan artist, and published by Bindi Books, where I explore the opposite situation of The Visit: the first time I went out alone into the street. While writing this text, I also recalled the feelings I experienced myself. I have many memories, both good and bad, of that first time! I think it will be a beautiful picture book that will encourage young readers to express their fears and concerns.

Me: Do you have any advice for aspiring picture book writers?

Núria: I would tell them not to censor themselves or limit themselves. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy when it comes to creativity. They should try to write with total freedom and explore any idea that comes to mind without fear. I write many things that never become stories: I have lots of unfinished stories, descriptions of characters I’ve invented, dialogues or situations that don’t belong to any story. I even have a very long list of titles! And suddenly, one day, some pieces fit together and you realize you have a good story there.

That’s great advice. Thank you for stopping by my blog today Nuria, all the way from Spain! 🙂

But wait, dear readers! There’s more! There’s also a giveaway of this fantastic picture book (US and Canadian residents only). You can enter the SweepWidget here. Good luck!