The Story of Babar

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The Story of Babar

Jean de Brunhoff

Children’s

Jul 30, 2018

Some denizens of children’s literature are so entrenched in our collective imagination, and Babar the elephant is certainly one, that they seem natural formations in the landscape of our fancy—timeless, enduring presences the world has always known. Not so, of course; even Babar was invented, making his first appearance in a bedtime tale told one summer evening in 1930 by Cécile de Brunhoff to her sons, five-year-old Laurent and four-year-old Mathieu. When the boys repeated the story to their father, the painter Jean de Brunhoff, he decided to write it down and illustrate it. To appreciate Babar in his full glory, one should seek out editions published in the original large format (with pages measuring approximately 10 ½ x 14 inches) which retain the hand-scripted, cursive lettering for the text (rather than replacing it with roman type). The large scale encourages readers young and old to climb right into Brunhoff’s glorious two-page spreads and have a chat with the gentle beast he animates with simple lines and subtle colors.

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