Laurent de Brunhoff, Renowned Writer and Illustrator of “Babar the Elephant” Series, Passes Away at 98
Laurent de Brunhoff, a prolific writer and illustrator who carried on the legacy of his late father, Jean de Brunhoff, by creating numerous original books for the “Babar the Elephant” series, has sadly passed away at the age of 98. This news was shared by De Brunhoff’s wife, Phyllis Rose, a critically acclaimed author and literary critic, with News Finder via email.
Born in France, De Brunhoff became a dual citizen of both France and the United States. He published over 40 books featuring Babar, an elegantly dressed elephant brought to life by his mother, Cécile de Brunhoff, and illustrated by his father in the 1930s. De Brunhoff recounted the origins of Babar in an interview with News Finder in 2003, explaining how he and his brother shared a bedtime story from their mother that captivated them. Inspired by this tale, they visited their father’s studio to request a book based on the story. After the initial success, Jean continued creating more Babar stories, discovering his talent anew.
Tragically, De Brunhoff was only 12 when his father died of tuberculosis in 1937. Five books had been published under the series before Jean’s untimely passing, chronicling Babar’s departure from the jungle for Paris following his mother’s death at the hands of a hunter. These early titles paved the way for Babar’s various adventures and eventual coronation as king of the elephants.
In 1946, at age 21, De Brunhoff rejuvenated Babar with his own publication, “Babar’s Cousin: That Rascal Arthur.” Motivated by the desire to see Babar continue living, De Brunhoff went on to create numerous original stories and introduce new characters and storylines, extending the reach of the beloved series and introducing it to a global audience. Babar’s travels with his family around the world, learning to cook, practicing yoga, and even visiting an alien planet, were all part of De Brunhoff’s imaginative vision. His most recent contribution to the series, “Babar’s Guide to Paris,” was published in 2017, more than seven decades after he first revived Babar.
Despite the joy and wonder that Babar brought to generations of children, the series has not been without controversy. Critics have pointed to allegorical connections between Babar’s story and French colonialism, as well as the use of racist stereotypes in some of Jean de Brunhoff’s original illustrations and storylines. In his 1983 book “The Empire’s Old Clothes: What the Lone Ranger, Babar, and Other Innocent Heroes Do to Our Minds,” Chilean author Ariel Dorfman argued that Babar represented the fulfillment of dominant countries’ colonial dreams. De Brunhoff, when asked about these criticisms by National Geographic in 2014, acknowledged that the series might have perpetuated colonialist myths.
Babar’s stories have been translated into numerous languages and adapted for television on multiple occasions, beginning with an NBC production in the late 1960s. The more recent “Babar” series premiered in 1989 on CBC in Canada and HBO in the US, while “Babar and the Adventures of Badou” aired globally, including on Disney Junior, between 2010 and 2015.
As tributes poured in following De Brunhoff’s passing, Whit Stillman, an Oscar-nominated writer, director, and actor, described the Babar books as “exquisitely beautiful and charming” on X (formerly Twitter). The Mary Ryan Gallery in New York, which represented De Brunhoff’s illustrations, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram expressing the profound impact that De Brunhoff’s love for Babar, art, and family story had on millions around the world.
