All Rights Available
A quietly powerful tale of trauma, tenderness, and the long road to healing, told through the eyes of an elephant who remembers more than he lets on.
Wang’s affecting picture book, inspired by the true story of a circus elephant with a wounded past, introduces us to Forgetful—an elephant from far away who seems to have lost his memory. He acts strangely, blurts out odd things, and stirs concern among his gentle herd. But rather than judge him, they offer comfort: “Maybe it’s good to forget.”
Only, Forgetful hasn’t really forgotten. His pain lingers in the shadows of his dreams, in his anxious movements, in the invisible scars of a life he rarely speaks of. This is not a story about memory loss—it’s a story about how trauma nests quietly inside us, and how empathy, community, and unwavering friendship can soften its hold.
Wang’s prose is unflinching yet sensitive, guiding readers into the emotional complexity of PTSD and childhood trauma without ever overwhelming them. Nan Jun’s illustrations shimmer between dreamscape and reality, layering textures and expressions that echo the inner world of a creature who’s learning, day by day, to feel safe again.
The emotional payoff is neither tidy nor sensational. The book resists the easy arc of “healing as forgetting,” and instead offers something richer: the idea that true healing means remembering—without fear—and being loved anyway.
A gentle, luminous story that validates trauma, honors vulnerability, and celebrates the quiet triumph of being seen.
Author | Wang Yu-Ching
A perpetual apprentice of words, who feels most at ease in the lowest degree of social interaction, always pondering the many possibilities of stories and children’s books. Beyond writing stories, Wang delights in collecting and playing musical instruments—producing sounds that others might find a bit noisy, but to the author, they are beautiful. Recipient of the Nine Songs Annual Fairy Tale Award, the Mandarin Daily News Shepherd’s Flute Award, the Nine Songs Children’s Literature Award, the "Good Books for Everyone to Read" Best Book of the Year Award, the Ministry of Education Literary Creation Award, along with several local literary prizes. Representative works include The Monster News Agency series, The Island Food Explorers series, and The Cloud Monsters of Rainbow Valley.
Illustrator | Nan Jun
Born in Changzhi, Pingtung, inspired during elementary school by the intricate illustrations in picture books that revealed a glimpse of a future calling. Loves to drink a cup of black coffee before creating; once the soul is awakened, enters a small room of solitude, picks up the brush, and begins dreaming on paper. Insists on hand-drawing, for the way watercolor dances across the page is enchanting; sometimes unruly, yet cherished, as part of the resolve to keep the uniqueness of having only one "original" artwork.
Facebook: @nanjunwhite
The Elephant Who Forgot
作者：王宇清
繪者：南君
出版社：親子天下
出版日期：2022/05/31
ISBN：9786263051850
規格：精裝 / 50頁 / 20.9 x 29.5 x 1 cm / 普通級 / 全彩印刷
All Rights Available
Rights Inquiry + Manuscript Request:
Violet Lai: violet@leeslit.com
