Babar the Elephant
Babar the Elephant (UK: /ˈbæbɑːr/, US: /bəˈbɑːr/; French pronunciation: [babaʁ]) is an elephant character who first appeared in 1931 in the French children's book Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff.
| Babar the Elephant | |
|---|---|
Cover of the first Babar story, Histoire de Babar (Story of Babar), published 1931 | |
| First appearance | Histoire de Babar, 1931 |
| Created by | Jean de Brunhoff |
| Voiced by | Peter Ustinov (1968–1971; 2 TV specials) Jim Bradford (1985; TV special) Gordon Pinsent (1989–2015; 2 TV series and movie) Dan Lett (1999–2000; movie and TV series) Gavin Magrath (young; 1989; TV series and movie) Kristin Fairlie (young; 1999; movie) Daniel Davies (2005; video game) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Babar, Doctor of Letters, King of the Elephants |
| Species | African bush elephant |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | King |
| Spouse | Celeste |
| Children | Pom, Flora, Alexander, Isabelle |
| Relatives | Arthur (brother-in-law), Badou (grandson), Lulu (granddaughter), Periwinkle (daughter-in-law), Cory (son-in-law) |
| Author | Jean de Brunhoff |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Published | 1931–present |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) Audiobook |
The book is based on a tale that Brunhoff's wife, Cécile, had invented for their children. It tells of a young African elephant, named Babar, whose mother is killed by a big game hunter. Babar escapes, and in the process leaves the jungle in exile, visits Paris, and returns to bring the benefits of civilization to his fellow elephants. Just as he returns to his community of elephants, their king tragically dies from eating a poisonous mushroom. Because of his travels and civilization, Babar is chosen king of the elephant kingdom. He marries his cousin, Celeste (French: Céleste), and they subsequently have children and teach them valuable lessons.