Babar the Elephant
| 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 |
Babar the Elephant (UK: /ˈbæbɑːr/ BAB-ar, US: /bəˈbɑːr/ bə-BAR, French: [babaʁ]) is an elephant character named Babar who first appeared in 1931 in the French children's book Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff.
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 the Elephant escapes, and in the process leaves the jungle in exile, visits a big city, 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.