When the Moon Forgot

by Jimmy Liao

One night the moon never rises...

A lonely boy finds the fallen moon in a field. He takes it home and cares for it, slowly helping it heal. They become inseparable companions, exploring the world together both day and night. But when the world needs the moon to remember its place in the sky, the boy must help it find its way back home.

This is an unforgettable tale of an unusual friendship by world-renowned illustrator Jimmy Liao. Gorgeous, evocative illustrations tell an imaginative story of love and courage; the world will never forget the time when the moon forgot.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Childrens, Graphic Novels, China, Asia, Friendship

80 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

Jimmy Liao (pen name: 幾米；autonym: Lao Fu-Bin, 廖福彬) born in Yilan County, Taiwan. in Fine Arts, with a major in Design. He had worked in advertising companies for 12 years. Now he works as an illustrator. Since 1998, Jimmy published several illustrated books with amazing originality and multi-faceted narratives. He had since set a fashion in creating and publishing illustrated books in local and international markets. Utilizing images as a refreshing form of literary language, Jimmy creates in his works poetic frames that emit charms and appeals. He has published seventeenth popular books so far, and they are translated into English, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Korean and so forth. Being the most popular illustrator author in Asia, creating lots of fantasy and touch hearts cross all generation, however, with low profile personality, he enjoys the family time more, lives a tranquil life and devotes most of his time to work. Immersing in his works is just like to go into Jimmy's inner world, his inviting stories reflect the reality of real life, more and more people are intoxicated by his vivid strokes and his magic realism narratives. Now in Asia, Jimmy becomes vogue of the time, beyond his stories, "Jimmy" is like a pop of a new life style.

from: http://www.jimmyspa.com/en/

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too rich for me to discuss. Every time I read it, I get more out of it. I'd like to keep it forever and reread it a couple of times a year, maybe eventually increase my rating from 3.6 to 5, but I am passing it on the a Little Free Library in Wisconsin in the hopes that another reader falls under its spell.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Look—the moon can still shine even when the night is darkest.”

The moon and all its glowing warmth and light holds a special spot in my imagination. When life’s jabs, dips, and dives cut deep and take too much out of me, I turn to the moon and sky for inspiration and peace. Just look up and breathe in the wonder and beauty. Mr. Liao captures that feeling, wonder, and awe here on the page.

Jimmy Liao’s When the Moon Forgot tells the story of how a lonely boy and the moon become friends and help each other find their way again in the world. Every single page in this book is a piece of art! Colors and characters fill the page with patterns, warmth, peace, and imagination. Look at the faces of the people. Take in every single expression, tear, and smile. You will see and feel something new every time you turn a page. Sadness, friendship, courage, calm, and warmth embraced me along this reading journey. A read I will not soon forget. Liao’s dreamlike images create a world of wonder that will inspire and linger in your heart and soul.

A beautiful, warm glowing tale that soothes the noise and ugliness of the day away. We all get lost at times. We just have to hold on and keep looking for our place in this world.

Highly recommended read.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable little tale of what once happened when the moon disappeared from the sky.

Liao's illustrations are a delight!

[ดินสอ สีไม้ · Rating 4 out of 5]

สารภาพว่าเราไม่ค่อยเข้าใจเนื้อเรื่องเลย
ไม่เก็ตในสิ่งที่ผู้เขียนต้องการจะสื่อเลยค่ะ
ได้แต่เดาๆ เอา ไม่รู้ว่าใช่หรือเปล่า
แต่รู้สึกว่ามันเศร้าจัง .. โทนเรื่องมันออกมาเศร้าจัง

[specialday · Rating 5 out of 5]

เล่มนี้ดีมากๆ เรื่องราวน่ารัก ขนลุกเมื่อเปิดไปถึงหน้าสุดท้าย ดีมากๆๆๆ

10/1/66 กลับมาอ่านอีกครั้ง ชอบมากๆ แบบประทับใจมากที่สุด ถึงขั้นไปสั่งเคสโทรศัพท์กับเคสหูฟังเรื่องนี้มาเลย

24/4/66 อ่านแล้วยังใจฟูเหมือนเดิม และยังคงประทับใจกับเคสอยู่ดี 🌕

8/12/66 แด่เด็กๆที่หาญกล้าเติบโต 💛

[Yuliya Yurchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

У Ліао найкрасивіші дитячі книжки. Просто факт.

[Cristina Di Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

La luna e il bambino è un meraviglioso albo per bambini che affronta il tema della solitudine attraverso una storia poetica e magica. Un’amicizia fantastica, fatta di assenza e attesa, nata inaspettatamente ma che arricchisce i protagonisti, dando ad entrambi nuova forza e nuove prospettive. https://ilmondodichri.com/la-luna-e-i...

[Yoyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“我经常抬头看月亮，很多心里的话，我都对月亮说...... 这样的日子持续了五年。我想我欠月亮一个故事。”

—機米

[Anne Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

我用很短的時間讀完這繪本，不知不覺心裡覺得很難過。「獻給 勇敢長大的孩子」就好像真的給我了，加油吧要長大了，英。
我剛過了生日不多久。二十歲對我來講太困難了吧，因為我要長大了。
看完這本，我真的大哭⋯⋯

[Emelie Rahmqvist · Rating 4 out of 5]

På bokens sista sida står det ”Till alla barn som modigt växer upp.” Det här är en liten pärla till bok och Jimmy Liaos illustrationer är magiska!

[Indira · Rating 4 out of 5]

De esos libros que te flechan despiadadamente en la biblioteca y después de leerlo y releerlo y suspirar mil veces con sus poesías y dibujos, sientes el decreto de tu corazón gritando que necesitas poseerlo y tenerlo cerca de ti para siempre.

En estos tiempos desenfrenados, lo mejor que nos puede suceder es ser atrapados por el encanto de un libro ( de literatura infantil) y que no nos quede más remedio que abandonarlo todo y lanzarnos de cabeza en su universo de papel y color. Una luna desmemoriada y un niño de corazón aventurero te pueden salvar de tu vida gris 🌓. ¡Léetelo!



Leí la versión francesa.

[Graziano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le cose visibili non si vedono più.
La brezza estiva soffiava leggermente, ma è scomparsa all'improvviso.

I ricordi indelebili sono svaniti.
Rimane solo il riflesso indistinto degli alberi, che oscillano lievemente. (pagina 13)

...e arrivò Zarathustra che parlò: si tratta de La luna e il bamino oppure è La luna e il bramino oppure è La luna e il bagnino?

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preciosas ilustraciones, como de costumbre, Jimmy Liao no decepciona. Soy una fanática total de sus libros.

[cọng rơm · Rating 4 out of 5]

chắc theme của năm mới là thời thơ ấu tưi đẹp nên đọc sách ròi xem phim cái gì cũng có những năm nhỏ dại buồn buồn vui vui, như mọi câu chuyện cổ tích đều vui vui buồn buồn

[becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No puedo verte, pero siento tu calidez".
Habla, con delicadeza, ensueño y colores fríos acerca de los conflictos y sentimientos que vive un niño cuando empieza a dejar de serlo.

[Joseline]

It was a nice book i read it to my little brother he loved it he loves the moon.

[mimo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loads of depth and layers to this seemingly simple tale.* My favourite bit is when people started manufacturing fake moons to replace the real one that has fallen out of the sky. Close second is that visual of rows and rows of streetlights. Those moments are both commentaries and notes of pathos - reflections about civilisation, alienation, and human nature.

Side note, since I don't see other people commenting on it - I also like the framing story of the man who falls off his balcony and thinks the moon is falling with him, then wakes up in hospital at the end of the book and is finally pictured smiling up at the moon. I suppose as the man is waking up from a coma, he is imagining himself as the little boy who helps the moon return to the sky. Some beautiful imagery about recovery, on that level of the story.

*I can read Chinese much more fluently than I can write in it, hence the review in English.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

While out playing, a boy finds the moon, apparently fallen from the sky. He takes care of her, providing friendship and entertainment, and eventually helps her grow confident enough to return to her place in the sky. There are many messages embedded in the story; for instance, when the moon is missed by others, factories simply crank out enough moons so that everyone can have one. Readers will also see similarities with Where the Wild Things Are's Max when the boy dons his wolfish costume and heads out into the city with his moon. The illustrations feature outlandish, oversized creatures such as a rabbit and an owl, and an eye peeking over the city's buildings. In the end, the boy realizes that the world needs the moon much more than he needs to keep her to himself. This book leaves lots of room for pondering for adults and younger readers.

[Erika Tortorice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fictional book about a boy's experience of what would happen if the moon came down from the sky. He goes on adventure in his imagination of all thes senarios of what happens when the moon never rises. The illustrations told a great part of the story and were very detailed. I loved how the little boy puts on a cat costume as if he is transforming into a super hero in order to get the moon back into the sky. I also liked how in the book the author and illustrator shows the phases of the moon.

[Berslon Pank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the type of book that makes me feel like it is telling me something or that I am learning something from it, but thankfully the author didn't feel the need to beat me with any moral. Every time I read it I feel like something new to learn or realize is hanging just ahead of me and if I relax and don't try to hard I might learn.

[Arisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

ภาพประกอบสวยดีค่ะ :)
(เป็นลายในเคสโทรศัพท์ตอนนี้เลย)

[D.A. Roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets my kids feeling so many emotions for the moons. Creative story that makes you think twice about taking something for granted.

[Araya Pichitkul · Rating 5 out of 5]

ซาบซึ้ง งดงาม
"พวกเขาบังเอิญพบกัน แต่ต่างก็นำเอาแสงสว่างอันอบอุ่นมาสู่ชีวิตที่มืดหมองของกันและกัน"

[✎ Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jimmy Liao confesó en una entrevista:

"Suelo crear primero las imágenes en mi cabeza, y luego organizo estas ilustraciones para ver la relación entre ellas hasta que consigo armar un historia. Así que, como puedes ver, mis libros normalmente provienen de un tono emocional, no de una historia lineal".

Creo que eso es lo que me falla en su libro. En una biblioteca o librería hay espacio para todo tipo de libros, no solo los narrativos, pero para mí (para mi gusto) los grandes libros no son solo un montón de emociones plasmadas en papel. Hay que presentarlas de forma ordenada, y si además vas a contar una historia, para que el libro pase a la prosperidad, tienes que currártela un poco. En este libro he visto muchas reflexiones filosóficas, demasiadas, como si no pudiera decidirse por una como subtrama. Y una historia simple, ya conocida, de cómo la luna se cae, un niño la encuentra y al final... Bueno, es fácil de adivinar, pero no lo diré. Confieso que se dan situaciones en algunas de las páginas que me dejaron intrigada... Sobre el comportamiento de las personas cuando desapareció la luna. Casi parecía una comparación teológica. Pero no se profundizó.

En resumen. Está bien, pero no fue suficiente para mí.

[Gacela · Rating 4 out of 5]

También cogido de la sección infantil de la biblioteca. Los dibujos de Jimmy Liao son suaves y amables, las historias que cuenta también, teñidas de melancolía y con cachitos de esperanza.

En este libro la Tierra se queda sin luna, que acaba perdida con un peque hasta que poco a poco, a su lado, va recordando quién es y cómo volver al cielo.

Menos mal que cuando nos perdemos, con frecuencia alguno de nuestros amigos/amores, nuestros vínculos, puede ponernos en nuestro sitio, no como reproche sino como recordatorio de que sí, tenemos un sitio aunque lo hayamos podido olvidar.

No sé bien qué parte de la reseña tiene que ver con el libro y qué parte conmigo. Creo que eso me ha pasado ya en rachas anteriores también difíciles y de confusión. A ver si me encuentro, me ayudan a encontrarme. Como esta Luna de Jimmy Liao.

[Smiley C]

～
有一天，月亮從天上掉下水了。
世界的人看不到了月亮，沮喪起來；
即使是人工製作，永遠微笑的月亮，
不久變得暗淡，
被遺棄。

月亮被一個小男孩發現了。
他們一起玩，上學，長大。
月亮忘記了。
男孩跟它的時光過得很快樂。

真的長大了。
世界失去了月亮，變得越來越奇怪 -
男孩發現，終要讓月亮記回它的身份。

最後，當然到了告別的時候。
一道柔和的月光灑落在窗前⋯⋯
～

看完這本書，心情有點沉重，不知道為什麼想哭。幾米的詞句簡樸而優美，配上水彩生動的筆觸，這故事娓娓動聽，引人入勝，滲透一份傷感，一份懷念。我沒有完全看懂這書，但都十分喜歡閱讀它的過程。
（很榮幸能夠看懂中文原文，感受到作者最真實的情感流露。）

English version of my review:
When I finished this book, I felt heavy with an inexplicable urge to cry. The author's words are simple yet evocative. Complemented with watercolour paintings, the story is told beautifully, with an air of melancholy and wistfulness. I don't feel qualified enough to analyse this, but I appreciate it all the same emotionally, even without fully understanding it. The art really works wonders with the text. Such a beautiful reading experience that I'll recommend.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is kinda a fascinating, high-concept book, where the premise is the moon disappears. It was really cool to see the world invent all their false moons -- and then to watch those moons go out of fashion and be thrown away. There's just something really fascinating there, something that I didn't see in the other of Liao's books that I read. Something really real, I guess, that doesn't just seem high-minded or gimmicky. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but the content is just . . . interesting and fascinating and moving.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro PRECIOSÍSIMO.
La Luna, que un día desaparece del cielo, se hace amiga de un niño y "tiene" que volver a aprender a flotar. Es una historia de crecimiento, de hacerse mayores, de recordar.
Por otro lado hay una historia paralela, de un adulto (¿el niño de mayor?) que se cae. Por cómo acaba el libro quiero pensar que le ocurre igual que a la luna, que tiene que volver a aprender a ser él mismo.

"No puedo verte, pero siento tu calidez"

[Kulturens Hjältar]

Fin, i bemärkelsen inga barn kommer förstå detta poetiska verk. Om när månen glömde att vara måne. En vuxen man ramlar ner och slår sig och minns detta. När människorna gjorde kopior av månen för att lysa upp världen och eftersom dessa också syntes på dagen gick magin bort. Medan månen blev omhändertagen av mannen, som då var en pojke, och lär sig våga igen. (Nu kom jag på att den kanske är en bilderbok..)

[Sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

De los libros más bonitos del autor. Tierno y bastante concentrado en un hilo de historia. Es de los cuentos más metafóricos que he leído y eso que todos los suyos lo son.
Una luna que se cae del cielo y tiene miedo de volver, una luna que olvida, una luna que está triste, incluso deprimida y que vuelve a brillar. Muy recomendado y las ilustraciones llenas de detalles y belleza como siempre.