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Jean de Brunhoff
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The Story of Babar: The Little Elephant Hardcover – Picture Book, January 1, 1961

by Jean De Brunhoff (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 830 ratings
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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.
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  1. Reading age
    2 - 5 years, from customers
  2. Part of series
    Babar
  3. Print length
    56 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  6. Lexile measure
    AD610L
  7. Dimensions
    8.38 x 0.42 x 11.31 inches
  8. Publisher
    Random House Books for Young Readers
  9. Publication date
    January 1, 1961
  10. ISBN-10
    0394805755
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0394805757
  12. See all details
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B Is for Babar: An Alphabet Book
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Story of Babar--the early adventures of the enduring, endearing elephant--was written in 1931 by French writer Jean de Brunhoff (1899-1937). Since then, it has been translated into at least 12 languages. It's amazing how much can happen to one little elephant in the course of one little book: Babar loses his mother to a hunter, wanders into the city, gets a new wardrobe, becomes the hit of high society, marries his cousin Céleste (totally acceptable in contemporary Elephantine society), and is crowned King of the Elephants.

The Story of Babar is essentially the tale of a country boy who comes to the city and, while there, comes of age. In the end, he returns home to share his knowledge and experiences with family and friends. The beautiful, delightfully detailed illustrations--de Brunhoff was a painter by trade--never fail to amuse. (Although none of the characters seem to notice, the sight of Babar in a suit leaning against the mantel while he regales his audience with tales of the jungle is plainly hilarious.) All of the Babar books are notable for their ability to tell larger stories with simplicity and style, and The Story of Babar is no exception. Potentially troubling moments--the death of Babar's mother, for example--are handled with taste, emphasizing Babar's unique gift for uncovering a silver lining in the most persistent of clouds. (Ages 4 to 8, though the cursive writing makes it best for reading aloud.)

Review

"With many absurd and funny pictures, these tales of the popular elephant furnish hours of enjoyment to the young person."--Elementary English

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Books for Young Readers; First Edition (January 1, 1961)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 56 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394805755
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394805757
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2 - 5 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD610L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.38 x 0.42 x 11.31 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 830 ratings

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Jean de Brunhoff

Jean de Brunhoff

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
830 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the storyline lovely, sweet, and timeless. They also appreciate the beautiful drawings and topic. Readers disagree on the writing style, with some loving the simplicity and others saying it's horrible translation and requests too many words.

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StorylineIllustrationsBook topicWriting style
29 customers mention "Storyline"25 positive4 negative

Customers find the storyline lovely, memorable, and engaging. They also say it takes them back to a more innocent time and is a classic.

"A bright and lively story! Loved it as a child, my own children loved it - and now, so does my great-granddaughter!" Read more

"Who doesn't love Babar? Classic story and a joy to share with my young kids. However, the finishing of the printed pages is frequently substandard...." Read more

"...Memorable, interesting characters and engaging storyline...." Read more

"I have love the character Babar since I was young. Great story for young children. I bought this for my granddaughter." Read more

21 customers mention "Illustrations"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the illustrations in the book beautiful and go perfectly with the stuffed Babar and Queen Celeste dolls.

"...It's weird in my adult opinion but I like the pictures. I believe the pictures are what I liked as a very little kid...." Read more

"...Wonderfully and engagingly written, w fantastic illustrations, this is the book that kicked off the wonderful Babar series. But- but- but!..." Read more

"...they have are common ones, well described in simple terms, but in a silly style. The author..." Read more

"Life lessons abound here … beautiful drawings … and elephants!" Read more

11 customers mention "Book topic"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book topic wonderful for children and great to read over and over.

"Babar is a classic children's book. My now thirty-something children grew up loving all of these tales...." Read more

"Great for your grandkids." Read more

"Who doesn't love Babar? Classic story and a joy to share with my young kids. However, the finishing of the printed pages is frequently substandard...." Read more

"Very fond memories from childhood to share with kids now! Great to read over and over. Love all the Babar books, before he was a tv star!" Read more

7 customers mention "Writing style"4 positive3 negative

Customers are mixed about the writing style. Some mention that they love the simplicity and engaging writing, while others say that it has horrible translation, poor story for kids, uses strange words, and has no flow. They also find several typos and request too many words.

"This is the "Bambi" of children's books. Wonderfully and engagingly written, w fantastic illustrations, this is the book that kicked off the..." Read more

"...It has no flow, uses strange words, and most annoyingly, everything is in the present tense. Which is such a weird way to tell a story...." Read more

"...It is simplicity in itself. It talks about life and death, friendship, civilization, celebration...." Read more

"perfect.You request too many words. I will not review this or any purchase again as you require more than i want or can say." Read more

The best elephant story
5 Stars
The best elephant story
This book was purchased to go with a Babar the Elephant stuffed animal saved since the 1980's. It was a pre-hospital gift for a young (25 years old) woman who loves elephants and was having Brain Surgery. Happy to report surgery was successful and Babar and his story kept her good company.
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Top reviews from the United States

kfw
5.0 out of 5 stars fun kid's classic with Babar
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2024
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Adventures with elephant King Babar, classic.
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Montana1
5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless children's favorite!
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2023
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A bright and lively story! Loved it as a child, my own children loved it - and now, so does my great-granddaughter!
One person found this helpful
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Dog Lover
5.0 out of 5 stars Weird book in retrospect
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
I bought this because my mom read it to me when I was very young. I didn't understand what she was reading at the time and now, after reading it, I understand why I didn't. It's weird in my adult opinion but I like the pictures. I believe the pictures are what I liked as a very little kid. Personally I wouldn't be inclined to read it to a young child because of the deaths especially of the mother. I wouldn't read Grimm's Fairy tales to a kid either for that matter.
4 people found this helpful
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Marilyn Lund
5.0 out of 5 stars My grandchildren love the Babar stories and the pictures
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2023
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One year I bought all 4 family children books of Babar. They love those books!
One person found this helpful
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Honest
5.0 out of 5 stars Babar
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2023
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This was a gift. The recipient was very happy!
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Becky
4.0 out of 5 stars He marries his cousin?
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2023
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I purchased this book because I remembering absolutely loving the Story of Babar as a child. Disappointed to find that the story wasn't actually that good and that Babar ends up marrying his cousin?! Giving this product 4 stars because I am nostalgic.
2 people found this helpful
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Kat
5.0 out of 5 stars Colorful classic
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2021
Verified Purchase
Babar is a classic children's book. My now thirty-something children grew up loving all of these tales. I bought this to start my elder son's collection for his new family, as I had passed on all of my original books to the child who started his family first.
One person found this helpful
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Michael Rasmussen
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic book, but apparently too much for coddling parents
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2010
Verified Purchase
This book holds my fondest memories of my childhood, a childhood that was in some ways harder than Babar's. The idea that from the loss of a parent, I could still grow up and be king was something that that gave me confidence and hope. It made me want to learn and to teach others, and it helped me know that life isn't always easy and pretty, but you have to make the most of what you are dealt. I would recommend this book for every child, but especially for those that have lost something dear to them and could use a little help imagining what is possible.

The low reviews for this book are all absurd, they are great examples of how poorly we treat our kids and how little we think of them as individuals. These people think they need to hide the world from their children rather than let them see and explore it for themselves. If you feel guilty sharing this book with your kids because you can't deal with reality, then you should really reconsider breading. The world will be a better place for your restraint.
23 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Jane Shoemaker
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book in new condition
Reviewed in Canada on July 16, 2020
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Excellent in every way.
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Nickolette Stefanova-Kiryazov
5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, it is a good one
Reviewed in Germany on June 16, 2020
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Old-fashioned in the best way
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Ricard
5.0 out of 5 stars Entrentenido
Reviewed in Spain on February 4, 2019
Verified Purchase
Los niños de distraen con este cuento en inglés. Los dibujos ayudan a seguirlo muy bien!
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Dr.Sudhir Anand, Ph.D.
5.0 out of 5 stars he loved the quality
Reviewed in India on October 19, 2015
Verified Purchase
This was a part of the series I procured for the Late Maharaja of Mysore, he loved the quality. Thank you very much.
2 people found this helpful
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2nimm
4.0 out of 5 stars Babar original en version américaine cartonnée
Reviewed in France on May 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
livret anglophone relié rigide moyen format ancien (1990/1961/1933) présentant la première des "aventures" du célèbre héros créé par J de Brunhoff et repris plus tard par son fils; dans cet opus original, un petit éléphanteau heureux perd sa maman tuée par un braconnier et après une longue fuite arrive à la ville et est adopté par une gentille vieille dame qui l'aide à se "civiliser"; cet épisode de loin le plus attachant et il s'apparente plus à conte de fée même si ce sentiment s'estompera au fil des épisodes suivants beaucoup plus réalistes; ce grand classique de la littérature enfantine célébrant le mythe de l'orphelin étranger qui émigre dans un pays riche, fait fortune et revient sur sa terre natale pour y être couronné roi ne peut renier son époque d'origine: le vingtième siècle occidental et colonialiste triomphant imbu de sa supériorité sur les sauvages; tout cela est affaire d'adultes et n'empêchera pas les tout-petits d'apprécier ces histoires au moment du coucher; cette édition ancienne cartonnée américaine Random de format confortable et au papier de qualité sera parfaite pour compléter ou renouveler une collection dont les ouvrages ont subi les outrages du temps et des nombreuses menottes entre lesquelles ils sont passés
One person found this helpful
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