Once upon a time Jeffrey Quinn traveled to Namibia in southwest Africa with his older brother. They went to see all the wonderful animals. They were staying in the Okaukuejo camp in Etosha National Park that bordered one of the major watering holes in the reserve. It was winter time in southern African which meant the dry season. As a result the animals would all come regularly to the few watering holes within the park. Thus, it was a good place to wait and hope to see elephants. So that is just what Jeffrey Quinn and his brother did. They waited, and waited, and waited some more. Then, in the darkness of the night an elephant appeared, walking straight out of the mist. It was followed by another elephant, and another, and another — until there were 18 elephants in all. The elephants surrounded the entire watering hole. They were all different shapes and sizes.
Jeffrey Quinn and his brother watched in amazement as the elephants drank, splashed, and played in the watering hole. And then just as suddenly as they appeared the elephants walked single-file back into the darkness.
At some point while watching this spectacle unfold Jeffrey said to his brother,
"That's the most amazing thing I've ever seen".
To which his brother replied, "You know the only thing that would make that better?"
“What?" asked Jeffrey.
"If Francesca (his 5-year old daughter at the time) was here to see it."
And it was then and there that Jeffrey Quinn, years before he would have his own daughter, recognized that there was a very special relationship between fathers and daughters. He never forgot that moment and it served as the inspiration, along with the birth of his own daughter, for The Blue Elephant.
If you look closely at the book, you'll see that only 14 elephants come to the watering hole in the story. That's because our illustrator couldn't fit all 18 into an image that worked. But the excitement of seeing elephants coming out of the darkness and the joy of watching them play in the watering hole is captured just the same, even if there are a few less elephants.
Jeffrey Quinn and his brother watched in amazement as the elephants drank, splashed, and played in the watering hole. And then just as suddenly as they appeared the elephants walked single-file back into the darkness.
At some point while watching this spectacle unfold Jeffrey said to his brother,
"That's the most amazing thing I've ever seen".
To which his brother replied, "You know the only thing that would make that better?"
“What?" asked Jeffrey.
"If Francesca (his 5-year old daughter at the time) was here to see it."
And it was then and there that Jeffrey Quinn, years before he would have his own daughter, recognized that there was a very special relationship between fathers and daughters. He never forgot that moment and it served as the inspiration, along with the birth of his own daughter, for The Blue Elephant.
If you look closely at the book, you'll see that only 14 elephants come to the watering hole in the story. That's because our illustrator couldn't fit all 18 into an image that worked. But the excitement of seeing elephants coming out of the darkness and the joy of watching them play in the watering hole is captured just the same, even if there are a few less elephants.
