The classic story of literature’s most beloved elephant. After his mother is killed by a hunter, Babar avoids capture by escaping to the city, where he is befriended by the kindly Old Lady. Later, with cousins Celeste and Arthur, he returns to the great forest to be crowned King of the Elephants. With the original illustrations from Jean de Brunhoff's 1931 classic, this first Babar story has enchanted generations.
The Story of Babar: The Little Elephant by Jean De Brunhoff
Jean de Brunhoff was a French writer and illustrator known for co-creating Babar, which first appeared in 1931. The stories were originally told to their second son, Mathieu, when he was sick, by his wife Cecile de Brunhoff. After its first appearance, six more titles followed. He was the fourth and last child of Maurice de Brunhoff, a successful publisher, and his wife Marguerite. He attended Protestant schools, including the prestigious L'Ecole Alsacienne. Brunhoff joined the army and reached the front lines when World War I was almost over. Afterwards, he decided to be a professional artist and studied painting at Academie de la Grand Chamiere. He married Ceccile Sabourand, a talented pianist from a Catholic family, in 1924.
Brunhoff died of tuberculosis at the age of 37. After his death, Hachette bought the printing and publishing rights to the Babar series, and ten years later Jean's eldst son, Laurent, took on his late father's role of writing and illustrating the series. The first seven Babar albums were reprinted and millions of copies were sold all around the world, but they were all abridged; they had 30 pages instead of the original 48. The Babar books are thought to be a way for Brunhoff to share himself with his family. Many people did not notice the 10 year gap, as Laurent also showed exceptional talent in drawing elephants. De Brunhoff and his wife are buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; First Edition (January 1, 1961)
Language: English
Hardcover: 56 pages
ISBN-10: 0394805755
ISBN-13: 9780394805757
Reading age: 2 - 6 years, from customers
Lexile measure: AD610L
Grade level: Preschool - 3
Item Weight: 13.6 ounces
Dimensions: 8.37 x 0.42 x 11.29 inches
Picture Books - Juvenile Fiction | Classics
Picture Books - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
Picture Books - Juvenile Fiction | Royalty
Picture Books - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Elephants
LC Subjects:
-Babar -Elephants
-Children's stories, French
OCLC Number: OCLC#223336835
Dewey: EBook is in very good used condition - cover has some wear dinged corners pages are intact bright and clean