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Babar #3
Babar the King
This third title about Babar and his family follows the elephants as they build a magnificent city: Celesteville. Life is peaceful and contented, everyone has a job to do, and celebrations are frequent. But one fateful day a snake bites the Old Lady and Babar fears that he may lose his oldest friend. Illus. in full color by the author.
52 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1933
12 people are currently reading
978 people want to read
About the author
Jean de Brunhoff
287 books83 followersJean 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
July 20, 2018
Celestville has just been built and every elephant has a home of their own. The young elephants start school with the Old Lady and her lessons are never dull. The elephants too old for school choose a profession. In Celestville Elephants work all morning and do what they want in the afternoon, sounds like a good arrangement. As always there are lots of wonderful detailed illustrations and action packed pages, a house catches fire, a monkey mistakes a venomous snake for a stick, and a dream sequence where Hieronymus Bosch style creatures represent qualities such anger, ignorance or sloth, highly imaginative and fun.
October 22, 2019
I thought this was good, but it was a little long and rambling. It doesn’t do anything until the end of the story. Babar is simply building his city of Celesteville for most of the book. We see the planning and the people dressing up and I don’t really think it’s all that interesting or exciting. I guess back in the 30’s having a nice city was important and interesting. The Old Lady sure does like the company of elephants. The end there is some conflict with a fire and a snake causing some issues, but it’s only a few of the 50 pages that happens. It’s a rather slow story.
This story glorifies the city and people moving away from nature. It’s a classic and I think I read most of these as a child. Our library has 1 copy of this story left and another one I know they just got rid of. These aren’t being read as much and libraries are getting rid of them. I don’t think it’s the best children’s book out there, but I don’t like seeing our past being forgotten. I wish these old stories still had their place. Anyway. I suppose this served its purpose and like everything else, it has a beginning and an end.
The nephew thought this was a fun story. He liked all the elephants, but it’s longish and that gets old after awhile. He began to get distracted as the story went on and I lost his attention. He gave this 3 stars and he wants to see an elephant city.
This story glorifies the city and people moving away from nature. It’s a classic and I think I read most of these as a child. Our library has 1 copy of this story left and another one I know they just got rid of. These aren’t being read as much and libraries are getting rid of them. I don’t think it’s the best children’s book out there, but I don’t like seeing our past being forgotten. I wish these old stories still had their place. Anyway. I suppose this served its purpose and like everything else, it has a beginning and an end.
The nephew thought this was a fun story. He liked all the elephants, but it’s longish and that gets old after awhile. He began to get distracted as the story went on and I lost his attention. He gave this 3 stars and he wants to see an elephant city.
August 5, 2023
Labai patiko visos dramblio Babaro penkios istorijos!! 😍
November 21, 2018
Originally published in 1933, this third Babar book picks up just where its predecessor,
The Travels of Babar
, left off, as Babar, Celeste and the Old Lady adjust to being back in the land of the elephants. When all of the many goods he purchased on his recent travels arrive by special dromedary delivery, Babar puts his grand plan into motion, proposing that the elephants build their own city, to be named Celesteville after their queen. All goes according to plan, and soon the pachyderm metropolis is a reality. But just when all seems well, and the elephants are celebrating their achievement, a double tragedy strikes, in the form of a snakebite that leaves the Old Lady gravely ill, and a house fire which injures wise old Cornelius. As Babar slips into a troubled dream that night, the question hangs in the air: which will triumph, Misfortune or Happiness...?
Although I do recall reading them as a young girl, I can't say that the Babar books have ever been amongst my particular favorites - they're interesting, the artwork is lovely, but the stories never really appealed to me, and I did not read them again and again, as I did some other titles. I would imagine that those readers who perceive in these books an apologia for colonialism (see Should We Burn Babar?: Essays on Children's Literature and the Power of Stories ) will be incensed at the story here, in which Babar, with the Old Lady by his side, brings "civilization" to the elephants, in the form of urban development. For my part, I continue to waffle, as it concerns the question of Jean de Brunhoff's worldview and storytelling intent. Did he mean these books to be a glorification of France's colonization of Africa, or as a gentle parody (as Adam Gopnick has argued) of it? If the latter, does that mean that they are less problematic? I have no answers, but the parallel between France and Africa in the early twentieth century, and the humans and elephants in these stories, seems fairly clear. There were no "fierce cannibals" here, as there were in The Travels of Babar - something for which I am grateful, given the offensive way in which they were portrayed - but I can't honestly say I enjoyed the story that much. Leaving aside all political and/or ethical issues, it just felt a little disjointed to me.
Although I do recall reading them as a young girl, I can't say that the Babar books have ever been amongst my particular favorites - they're interesting, the artwork is lovely, but the stories never really appealed to me, and I did not read them again and again, as I did some other titles. I would imagine that those readers who perceive in these books an apologia for colonialism (see Should We Burn Babar?: Essays on Children's Literature and the Power of Stories ) will be incensed at the story here, in which Babar, with the Old Lady by his side, brings "civilization" to the elephants, in the form of urban development. For my part, I continue to waffle, as it concerns the question of Jean de Brunhoff's worldview and storytelling intent. Did he mean these books to be a glorification of France's colonization of Africa, or as a gentle parody (as Adam Gopnick has argued) of it? If the latter, does that mean that they are less problematic? I have no answers, but the parallel between France and Africa in the early twentieth century, and the humans and elephants in these stories, seems fairly clear. There were no "fierce cannibals" here, as there were in The Travels of Babar - something for which I am grateful, given the offensive way in which they were portrayed - but I can't honestly say I enjoyed the story that much. Leaving aside all political and/or ethical issues, it just felt a little disjointed to me.
January 1, 2018
I loved Babar as a child, but the books seem to mystify a lot of modern readers. I don't think they're for every child, as the stories don't have a lot of forward momentum and they're also laden with some difficult vocabulary. This one is sort of a meandering slice of life dealing with the building of the town of Celesteville, and then moving around to some of the sorts of events and daily doings that happen there.
The illustrations are the sort I most loved in my childhood, with lots of background detail in which to get lost: far-away hippos in various stages of submersion, tiny snails crawling on a tin can, packages from shopping labeled "hats" and "records." I adore the statues of elephants in Grecian costumes and the little gilded elephants adorning the proscenium. (Does this make it a proboscis proscenium?!)
Especially clever is the text and music for a song Cornelius teaches the children. A note underneath it says that it is in "Old Mammoth" language, and that even Cornelius does not understand it. It's the elephant equivalent of Latin, apparently. The first verse is: "Patali dirapata. Cromda cromda ripalo. Pata pata. Ko ko ko." (I loved memorizing this sort of nonsense as a child.)
I also enjoyed the parade, which organizes the marchers by trade. There's a group of pastry chefs, a group of actors and clowns, etc.
It's a bit odd, but nonetheless exciting when a few darker events occur in a row. Babar laments that they have tainted an otherwise wonderful day, but muses that that's how life is.
Recommended for children whose reading level and curiosity surpass their age. It's a storybook, yes, but an atypical one. (Also recommended for weirdo adults.)
The illustrations are the sort I most loved in my childhood, with lots of background detail in which to get lost: far-away hippos in various stages of submersion, tiny snails crawling on a tin can, packages from shopping labeled "hats" and "records." I adore the statues of elephants in Grecian costumes and the little gilded elephants adorning the proscenium. (Does this make it a proboscis proscenium?!)
Especially clever is the text and music for a song Cornelius teaches the children. A note underneath it says that it is in "Old Mammoth" language, and that even Cornelius does not understand it. It's the elephant equivalent of Latin, apparently. The first verse is: "Patali dirapata. Cromda cromda ripalo. Pata pata. Ko ko ko." (I loved memorizing this sort of nonsense as a child.)
I also enjoyed the parade, which organizes the marchers by trade. There's a group of pastry chefs, a group of actors and clowns, etc.
It's a bit odd, but nonetheless exciting when a few darker events occur in a row. Babar laments that they have tainted an otherwise wonderful day, but muses that that's how life is.
Recommended for children whose reading level and curiosity surpass their age. It's a storybook, yes, but an atypical one. (Also recommended for weirdo adults.)
February 18, 2021
#33 in my 365 Kids Books challenge and request to Goodreads that the Top Readers, etc. lists be fixed. For a full explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf. Sorry I haven't been keeping up with the reviews, even though I have been keeping up with the writing. Sometimes life interferes.
So this is a review I wrote some time ago, upon first reading Babar the King:
Babar is pathetic to me, with his utopian dreams for elephants, based on European capitalism. Elephants, shake off your oppressor, and return to the matriarchal society that had been your lot. Apparently the bulls are meant to live away from the society so that they don't keep coming up with stupid plans about walking on their hind legs and wearing business suits.
***
And now, more than thirty years later on, rereading Babar the King I don't disagree with that earlier assessment. Whatever triggered my Babar jag also inspired me to look up the author on Wikipedia. It says something about how Cécile was the one to invent the first story which the boys asked their father to illustrate. Originally both husband and wife were to be listed on the title page, but she supposedly demurred. I wonder what it cost her to see her creation become so famous and not take any credit. I'm curious about his fine art work, which isn't mentioned in the Wikipedia page, and how different that was from the Babar art.
Library copy
So this is a review I wrote some time ago, upon first reading Babar the King:
Babar is pathetic to me, with his utopian dreams for elephants, based on European capitalism. Elephants, shake off your oppressor, and return to the matriarchal society that had been your lot. Apparently the bulls are meant to live away from the society so that they don't keep coming up with stupid plans about walking on their hind legs and wearing business suits.
***
And now, more than thirty years later on, rereading Babar the King I don't disagree with that earlier assessment. Whatever triggered my Babar jag also inspired me to look up the author on Wikipedia. It says something about how Cécile was the one to invent the first story which the boys asked their father to illustrate. Originally both husband and wife were to be listed on the title page, but she supposedly demurred. I wonder what it cost her to see her creation become so famous and not take any credit. I'm curious about his fine art work, which isn't mentioned in the Wikipedia page, and how different that was from the Babar art.
Library copy
May 21, 2019
Excellent story. This is the quality story I like to read to my children. No sugar coating life and that misfortunes can happen (that are not the shallow “misfortunes” of spoiled children today) and that things get better. There is also a great tidbit about having a positive attitude.
May 15, 2007
When I was little, I taught my stuffed babar to read with flashcards. He was an excellent student.
October 23, 2014
Mais um livro que o meu filho mais novo trouxe da biblioteca da escola e que lhe li. Achei uma história longa demais para uma criança de 5 anos e ele perdeu um bocado o interesse
December 4, 2013
In this Babar adventure, Babar decides to create a city for the elephants. He names it Celesteville after his wife and the Queen. This story book covers the every day life that leads to a big celebration where the Old Lady is bitten by a snake and then nearly dies. Arthur quickly kills the snake. To top it off, Cornelius is hurt in a fire that destroys his house and injures him. He accidentally started the fire with a match. Babar is distraught over all the misfortune and has a bad dream. In the dream, he sees elephant birds flying in a flock. The birds bring him positive messages of patience, courage, perseverance, learning, work, joy, happiness, health, hope, intelligence, goodness and love. These messages drive away the discouragement, cowardice, laziness, ignorance, indolence, fear, despair, misfortune, stupidity, and anger monsters. The story ends with Babar and his elephants once again happy in Celesteville. The illustrations are nice. This story does meander a lot just like life. It doesn't twirl like a merry-go-round in smooth fashion like many stories. In fact, in this Babar book, the writer even got the merry-go-round pictured wrong. It is in fact really a carousel and the elephants who built it should have known that ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2013
Children far and wide have enjoyed the story of Babar the little elephant and Babar the King is no exception. Jean De Brunhoff's Babar the King depicts a main character as a likable, cultured ruler of Celesteville who also just happens to be an elephant. The author reveals Babar and his elephant friends as they create the wonderful city Babar rules. The illustrations are worth celebrating as much as the beautiful community Babar leads. Hats off to Jean De Brunhoff for authoring the book and illustrating this tale too. This book has its frightening twist as Babar's dear friend has a run in with a snake, but the story in all is a merry as the Merry-Go-Round and constant celebrations in the city. I personally love this adorable pachyderm that, who has for years, created fun for young readers and we older readers too.
I would recommend this book for grades 1st through 4th.
I would recommend this book for grades 1st through 4th.
October 22, 2008
Continuing my rereading of the Babar series, again I find that each turn of a page brings me to another image unforgotten from nearly a half century past.
I started on this because of a New Yorker article talking about how Babar is a thinly veiled celebration of civilization. I don't see this as a bad thing, any more than I see it as a bad thing that The Cat in the Hat is a celebration of flights of wacky chaos. Life has a lot of stuff in it.
Babar has tremendous charm and makes a lasting impression.
I started on this because of a New Yorker article talking about how Babar is a thinly veiled celebration of civilization. I don't see this as a bad thing, any more than I see it as a bad thing that The Cat in the Hat is a celebration of flights of wacky chaos. Life has a lot of stuff in it.
Babar has tremendous charm and makes a lasting impression.
Read
June 5, 2008Mom used to watch Babar cartoons on HBO as a child, but she is having a hard time getting into the spirit of the books. Last night while we were reading this, when it mentioned that someone played the violin and Barbar played the trumpet, she said "Yeah, 'cause elephants HAVE FINGERS."
They also don't talk or wear clothes, but let's try to use our imagination here.
They also don't talk or wear clothes, but let's try to use our imagination here.
October 14, 2008
there is an illustration in this book that summarizes my entire world view; I only wish I was strong enough to live up to it.
October 9, 2013
Y'all still read Babar? I haven't since I read Ariel Dorfman's at critique in The Emperor's Old Clothes in mid-1980s. Does it still appeal? It worked for me at age 4 through 6.
March 19, 2022
Recuerdo a Babar con mucho cariño, un pobre que tiene la suerte de encontrar a una benefactora en la ciudad. Hay lecturas más críticas que la mía, y no seré yo el que las discuta. Pero como el mismo autor del artículo refleja, los niños no leen el subtexto de Babar. La historia me pareció edificante en su día, cuando yo era el público objetivo del libro.
September 29, 2022
Cute. I enjoyed the little details in the drawings. The cursive writing was cool too.
September 15, 2024
It's not a real elephant
December 7, 2024
Still not over Babar marrying his cousin ://
September 20, 2009
Babar the King of the Elephants decides to create a city by a river. The city is built, the elephants are all given their jobs and after the jobs are done, they get to play different games. Everyone is happy till the Old Lady gets bit by a snake and Cornelius' house burns down. King Babar is worried till he dreams give his the answers. The moral of the story is that everyone has misfortunes from time to time, but if you are not discouraged, and work hard, you can be happy.
Great moral to get at, the fact that the elephants made a beautiful city is fun and showing all of them with jobs before play time is also good. The names of the elephants were a tongue twister and some times the wording was confusing even to me. The description of some of the activities were not easily understood by my children and so the story could not flow (because we had to stop to discuss it). My oldest did enjoy the list of names and their jobs, but that was because I had trouble saying all of the names without 'blah blah'.
Great moral to get at, the fact that the elephants made a beautiful city is fun and showing all of them with jobs before play time is also good. The names of the elephants were a tongue twister and some times the wording was confusing even to me. The description of some of the activities were not easily understood by my children and so the story could not flow (because we had to stop to discuss it). My oldest did enjoy the list of names and their jobs, but that was because I had trouble saying all of the names without 'blah blah'.
May 18, 2016
For Babar books there is the original Age of Innocence (1931-1983), the Colonial Hellscape era that Ariel Dorfman showed us they represented (1983-2010), and the Gopnik Rehabilitation era (2010-present). This book has been viewed as innocent, evil, and winking at its audience: thesis, antithesis, and synthesis! To read these books to a child circa the mid-2010s is to get past their eerie similarity with Leopoldville in the atrocity that was the Belgian Congo, to remember that Laurent de Brunhoff changed many of his drawings after realizing how insensitive they were, and to view them as also mocking of French sensibilities of the 1920s. That's a lot of weight to ask a children's book to carry! I am going to add ONE more item for this book to atone for: its sidelining of the city's namesake, Queen Celeste. As my child put it, "Celeste didn't get to decide about building the city, or where to build it, but she's okay with their choices." Read it, yes, but annotate the hell out it.
July 31, 2016
I think it a safe bet that this might be the oldest memory in my Year of Nostalgic Re-reads. Not the oldest book, but this takes me back to maybe eight years old. I came across it on openlibrary.org and remembered it clearly. We never read any of the Babar stories to our children, so it's been nearly 45 years. I remember loving the illustrations, but being confused at the curious tense, and the references and names (translated from French and written in the 1930s).
I couldn't find an ebook of The Story of Babar, but openlibrary did have this third book. For any interested, some of the scans were off center.
I couldn't find an ebook of The Story of Babar, but openlibrary did have this third book. For any interested, some of the scans were off center.
December 13, 2016
I think this is the third book overall in the Babar series and it's my least favorite of the early books. My little one was not very attentive through this one as it's not as accessible or maybe a little too wordy for him. Maybe suitable for someone a little older than him. I read this one as a kid myself but this time I read it in the Babar Anniversary Book which houses six Babar books in all (possibly the first six in the series). I just love Babar I really do despite him marrying his second cousin, the colonialism and the other political aspects running rampant throughout this series. Hey, everyone and everything isn't perfect. Geez!
September 10, 2018
Ages: 5 - 9
Cleanliness: Babar has a bad dream and there are images of scary/funny looking monsters.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
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Cleanliness: Babar has a bad dream and there are images of scary/funny looking monsters.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
September 12, 2013
I am basing the three stars on the fact that I read this when I was a kid and remember the elephants chasing the demons. Very interesting illustration. Reminds me of the illustration of the demons in "The Phantom Tollbooth."
January 22, 2019
I treasured by Babar books when I was a child, so much so, I was devastated when I had to give them away because we were moving overseas for an indefinite amount of time. Now, as an adult and a parent, I am slowly rebuilding my Babar book collection. I say they are for my son, but... :)
May 20, 2009
I just loved how he called the village Celesteville, after his wife Celeste! (Also, I seem to have two copies of this - a smaller softcover, a a large hardcover.)
February 29, 2016
I loved this book - none of my friends had ever heard of Babar at all!
May 29, 2018
This is a great kids book and takes children into Celesteville, a kingdom ruled by Babar. This is just one of the many adventures the author has created.
June 9, 2018
What a great classic
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews