Cover
The Day I Met the Pink Elephant
Image description: Cover of The Day I Met the Pink Elephant — a child in a red coat leaning against the pink elephant
Page 2
In a village on a hill lived a quiet child. Many stories waited inside the child’s heart, but whenever they reached the lips, they grew shy and slipped away.
Image description: A child in a red coat sitting by a window, holding words back
Page 3
One day in a meadow, the child found a burrow that had never been seen before. From deep inside came a tiny sound of music. “…Who lives here?”
Image description: A child peering into a burrow in a meadow
Page 4
On tiptoe the child looked in — whoops! Roll, soft, float. Slowly, slowly, the child fell between stars and paint drops.
Image description: A child falling between stars and drops of paint
Page 5
Plop! The child landed on something big and soft. It was the pink elephant. “It’s all right. I fell in the same way the first time, too.”
Image description: A child cradled softly on the pink elephant’s back
Page 6
“This is Story Land, where the stories of the heart gather to live. Everyone keeps a pink elephant like me somewhere in the heart.”
Image description: The pink elephant walking through a pastel meadow with the child
Page 7
“I… don’t have a story to show,” the child said. The pink elephant grinned. “You do. You just haven’t spoken it out loud yet. Come on — I’ll introduce you to my friends!”
Image description: The pink elephant guiding the child’s hand with its trunk
Page 8
The first friend was Hamdori. “Dadada! Want to run with me?” The child ran until out of breath. Funny thing — while running, laughter came out first.
Image description: The child laughing while running across a meadow with Hamdori
Page 9
By the stream, the elephant family was playing in the water. Pwoo~ cool jets poured down like a rainbow. Soaked through, the child still laughed and laughed.
Image description: The child playing under Baby Elephant’s water spray
Page 10
Elephant was blowing rainbow soap bubbles to make a sick friend smile. “On a sad day, one bubble is enough. Pop!” The child tried too — whoo~. The world inside the bubble was all rainbow light.
Image description: The child blowing rainbow soap bubbles with Elephant
Page 11
Wangnuni held a magnifying glass. “Look at something small up close and it becomes a wonderful story. See — an ant’s footprints, and your heart too.” For the first time, the child looked quietly into that heart.
Image description: The child and Wangnuni looking through the magnifying glass together
Page 12
At the fence, Kkangchong said, “If you’re scared, jump scared. Kkangchong!” The child squeezed both eyes shut — hop! Beyond the fence was not scary at all.
Image description: The child leaping the fence with Kkangchong
Page 13
The Sketchbook Girl held out a notebook. “A different thought is a new thought. Want to draw your story?” Scratch-scratch went the pencil, and on empty paper the child’s story began to take shape.
Image description: The child drawing side by side with the Sketchbook Girl
Page 14
One night by the campfire, the child spoke a story out loud for the first time. Then the pink elephant grew a little bigger. It grows every time a story is shared, you see.
Image description: The child telling a story by the fire beside a larger pink elephant
Page 15
On the way home, the pink elephant said, “Now you know? Your elephant only needs you to show it. And this land opens again whenever you want to tell a story.”
Image description: The child saying goodbye to the pink elephant while climbing a glowing stair
Artist’s note
This is the story of every child who comes to play in this land. Everyone keeps a pink elephant somewhere in the heart. For eight weeks, five artists each brought out their own elephant in pictures and stories. Now it’s your turn.
Image description: The pink elephant and seven friends waving from a meadow