The front cover of the first Babar book, shown with a red background, differs significantly from the early draft.
:The little French elephant in the jaunty green suit who wears a yellow crown, the much beloved Babar, has finally arrived in America. Cherished by generations of children and adults, Babar, and how he came to be, is now the subject of an exhibition at the Morgan Library titled "Drawing Babar: Early Drafts and Watercolors."
The adventures of the brave and noble little elephant have captivated readers who love the stories of the resourceful Babar, the Little Old Lady, Celeste and the rascally Cousin Arthur.
The orphaned baby elephant, who escaped murderous hunters in the jungle and made his way to Paris, first appeared in print in 1931 in
L'Histoire de Babar, Le Petit Eléphant
(The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant). He originated in a story that Cécile de Brunhoff told her young sons, Laurent and Mathieu (son Thierry was not born until 1934) one evening in 1930. So entranced with the little elephant were the two boys that their artist father, Jean de Brunhoff, expanded the story, illustrated and published it. Babar's adventures in Paris, and his subsequent career in the great forest and as king of the elephants in Celesteville, are the stuff of a treasured series.
The de Brunhoff boys grew up in a household where the dapper little elephant was very much a presence. As children, however, their favorite character was Zephir. Babar as a character was wise and patient; paternal, full of fun and funny. Above all, he was well-mannered. His adventures are meant to amuse, and they do.
In de Brunhoff's final watercolor version, Babar and Celeste were crowned at their wedding. Again, suitable clothing was a factor; each wore regal dress and a crown with eight points.
One smiles when Babar drives back to the great forest with his cousins, Arthur and Celeste, in his stylish car; there was no room in the car for the elephant mothers, so they ran behind it while they lifted their trunks to avoid inhaling its dust. The peculiar blend of fantasy and the familiar is irresistible. When the two cousins are thought to be missing, a passing marabou spots them and reports their whereabouts to the concerned elephants at home, alleviating their worries. In another escapade, when the elephants are threatened by the fearsome rhinoceroses, Babar directs his army to paint the back ends of the elephants with frightening visages, with huge eyes and red noses. It works; the rhinoceroses decamp.
The Babar stories are serene; the king of the elephants takes excellent care of his family and his subjects; in addition, he and his family travel widely and they experience a range of other adventures. He is presented as a strong paternal force. However high the obstacles in life, they are always overcome and all ends happily.
The Story of Babar
was translated into English in 1933. The response to the book was so strong that de Brunhoff completed six more Babar stories before his early death in 1937 at 37. The last two,
Babar and His Children
and
Babar and Father Christmas
, appeared in 1936 in black and white in England in
The Daily Sketch
. They were published posthumously in book form, with coloring by Jean's brother, publisher Michel de Brunhoff, and the then 12-year-old Laurent de Brunhoff.
