The next TV special of Babar came out fifteen years later, with Babar and Father Christmas in 1986, a 25-minute Christmas Episode by the Canadian animation studio Atkinson Film-Arts.Ī few years later, an Animated Series was produced by the world-renowned Canadian animation studio Nelvana note who have since assumed distribution rights to the non-Nelvana Christmas special, likely as a result of the bankruptcy that befell Atkinson Film-Arts.

Both specials were directed by Bill Meléndez of the Peanuts specials fame and narrated by Peter Ustinov. Jean de Brunhoff originally created 7 Babar books between 1931 and his death in 1948 his son Laurent de Brunhoff succeeded him as author and continues to write new Babar stories to this day.Ĭountless record versions and stage production were released quickly after the premiere of the first book, but Babar's animated debut wasn't until 1968, with the TV special, The Story of Babar: The Little Elephant, an adaptation of its namesake book (which was the first book) as well as the second and third books, The Travels of Babar and Babar the King, which was followed by an adaptation of Babar Goes to Hollywood released in 1971. The books are seen by some as an allegory of French colonialism, with Babar as a young native who goes to France for education and comes back to teach the ways of civilization (defined as 'the way the French do things') to his fellow countrymen. There is also a neighboring kingdom of rhinoceroses ruled by the tyrannical Rataxes that shows up from time to time as the rivals of Babar and his subjects. After returning to the jungle, Babar shared what he learned with his fellow elephants, prompting them to construct a city they name Celesteville and to crown Babar as king of the elephants.Īlso featured in Babar's stories are his wife Celeste (whom the city was named after) his brother-in-law Arthur his four children Pom, Flora, Alexander, and Isabelle his elderly advisor and prime minister Cornelius and a monkey named Zephir who is a friend of Babar's family.

The books feature an elephant named Babar who left the jungle as a child after his mother was killed by a hunter and came to a large city where he befriended an elderly lady known only as Madame and learned of human ways. Babar is a series of popular French children's books first published in 1931, by Jean De Brunhoff, based on bedtime stories that his wife told their two children.

Babar the elephant books