The Forgettery

　　我們都難免「健忘」。小孩子健忘，他們只專注於當下。大人健忘，不是忘記鑰匙就是找不到眼鏡。比「健忘」更深層的問題，則是記憶喪失或失智。全球許許多多家庭，都必須面對年長的親人漸漸失智的狀況。《遺忘之屋》這個故事，可以成為一個小小的橋梁，讓孩子能從孩童的視角理解這個重要議題，並且溫柔同理。

【故事介紹】
　　艾蜜莉的奶奶很健忘。她有時會忘記一些小事，像是自己把眼鏡放到了哪裡；或是忘記重要的大事，比如特別的回憶和人。艾蜜莉也有點健忘，因為她總是忙著作白日夢和到處探險。一天，兩人外出散步時，在森林深處發現了「遺忘之屋」。原來，人們忘記的一切事物，都被儲存在遺忘之屋中！艾蜜莉和奶奶在那裡重溫大大小小的珍貴回憶，玩得不亦樂乎。回家前，記憶保管人交給艾蜜莉一個神祕信封，裡面寫著如何製造，並儲存美好記憶的祕訣……。

本書特色
◆如果有一個記憶倉庫，當我們找到它、進入探索時，會有什麼大發現？
　　繪者用溫暖的配色，搭配柔和的水彩筆觸，帶領讀者跟著奶奶和艾蜜莉一同穿越樹林，來到魔幻又充滿蓬勃生機的遺忘之屋。遺忘之屋隱藏在森林深處，打開一扇小小的門，就能進入廣闊繽紛的失物世界：記憶片段化身為蝴蝶四處翩翩飛舞、記憶保管人搭乘熱氣球在樓層間愜意移動、小鳥紛飛，負責運送被遺忘的物品，連絕種的渡渡鳥也在這裡！樹屋中陳列著形形色色的門，每扇門後都是一間獨一無二的遺忘小屋。奶奶的屋子像是一座巨大溫室，裡面放滿層層疊疊的櫃子和抽屜；而艾蜜莉年紀小，所以她的遺忘小屋靠近樹梢，像是大樹新長出的嫩芽般精巧可愛。

◆學習「陪伴」與「及時說愛」
　　社會高齡化，全球平均每三秒就有一人罹患失智症，如何與孩子好好談論「失智症」，顯得更為重要。本書以輕巧有趣的方式，討論生命課題，並且提醒我們「陪伴」與「及時說愛」的重要。

★英國《衛報》每月選書★
　　「用溫柔、幽默的方式，帶領孩子了解失智症。」——英國《衛報》書評

★英國童書書評網高度好評★
　　「Rachel Ip用輕柔溫暖的方式，講述記憶力衰退這件事。它不只是一本談論失智症的圖畫書，Laura Hughes的繪圖將故事提升到另一個層次，讓『遺忘之屋』就像一座可以實際造訪的房子。我跟著故事情節大哭又大笑，這是我讀過最棒的繪本之一！」——英國童書書評網《Picture Book Perfect》
 
——中文書介節錄自中文版《遺忘之屋》，字畝文化出版

Amelia’s granny forgets lots of things. Little things, like where she put her glasses, and big things like people and places. But everything anyone has ever forgotten is stored in The Forgettery, and there Amelia and her granny learn the power of making memories.

WINNER! English Association English 4-11 Picture Book Awards, Fiction 4-7 Category!

Chosen by The Guardian for Book of the Month!

Filled with warmth and gentle humour, The Forgettery is a beautifully written, sensitive look at dementia and memory loss. Over 850,000 people live with dementia in the UK, which will soar to 2 million by 2051. Globally, around 50 million people live with dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases each year. Opening up discussions surrounding this challenging topic with little ones has never been more important.

Without ever explicitly mentioning dementia, The Forgettery can be enjoyed as an adventure story where children explore a fantastical world where memories can be re-discovered and revisited as well as newly made. Rachel Ip’s tender words capture the wonderful bond between grandmother and granddaughter and Laura Hughes conjures up an exciting, wonderous space where our most precious memories are stored, and the challenge of dementia can be gently explored and understood.

Rachel Ip has always loved language and literature. After studying modern languages and linguistics at Cambridge University, she worked in marketing communications for over 10 years, before turning her hand to children’s book writing. The Forgettery will be Rachel’s second picture book, following The Last Garden. She lives in Hong Kong.

Laura Hughes studied illustration at Kingston University and is the illustrator of the Oscar’s Book Prize-winning There’s a Pig Up My Nose, the Greenaway Medal-nominated Daddy’s Sandwich, as well as the bestselling We’re Going on an Egg Hunt and sequels. She lives in Hastings, East Sussex.