The Story of Babar

Written by Jean De Brunhoff

Part of the Babar series

An elephant escapes to the city, returns to the forest, and becomes king.

3.0/7 Bookroo expert·4.1/5 Goodreads · 59,759 ratings

48 pages· 1,208 words· Est. 10 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

After tragedy strikes, young elephant Babar flees to the city, where he finds refuge with a kind Old Lady. As he learns about the human world, Babar dreams of returning to his forest home. Joined by cousins Celeste and Arthur, he embarks on a journey back to the wild, where destiny awaits him as the King of the Elephants. Will Babar's newfound wisdom help him lead his kingdom? Discover the enchanting tale of courage, friendship, and leadership that has captivated readers for generations.

From the publisher

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.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 48
Words: 1,208
Reading age: 4–8
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD610L

Themes & topics

Books about elephants Books about royalty Books about friendship Books about perseverance Books about self-discovery

What readers & critics say

Reviews

3.0

out of 7

3.0

“While I enjoy Jean De Brunhoff's classic illustration style, The Story of Babar has an incredibly random, empty plot when contrasted with the tender storyline of another classic figure such as Corduroy. Babar fails to develop meaning or depth. It stays at a surprisingly superficial level considering the story opening with the murder of Babar's mother. After the opening scene, a parent would struggle to segue into any meaningful discussion while reading aloud with a child. Hoping for at least a clever ending that ties everything together, I was disappointed to see the newly appointed king and queen floating away in an air balloon far away from the needs of their kingdom.”

The Goodfather

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one