Babar's Birthday Surprise

Babar

by Laurent de Brunhoff

All of Celesteville is busy preparing for the birthday celebration for King Babar. Queen Celeste has asked Podular, a talented sculptor, to carve a giant statue of Babar into the side of the mountain. Podular gets to work right away, careful not to let Babar discover the gift. He asks Cesarine the giraffe, along with a pair of friendly birds, to warn him if anyone is coming. Will Celeste succeed in keeping Babar's birthday surprise a secret?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

291 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Laurent de Brunhoff est un auteur et illustrateur français.

Laurent De Brunhoff has kept the spirit of Babar and his family alive for over 50 years. Babar was created by Laurent's mother as a bedtime story, and was first illustrated by Laurent's father, Jean de Brunhoff.

After his father's death, Laurent continued to create over 30 Babar stories.

Laurent de Brunhoff lived in Connecticut with his wife, writer Phyllis Rose.

Reviews

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a nostalgic fun for me to get back in with Babar and see all those characters that I still remember almost 3o years later. Great childhood memories!!

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

How about we begin with a reality check: Coming from a huge fan of Babar books.

* Both those by father Jean de Brunhoff
* And those by son Laurent de Brunhoff.

Of course, I'm a fan. Yet I still know this next part, don't you?

Babar and his family? They. Are. Elephants. (Supposedly, at least.)

That said, how funny is this opening?

The artist Podular was making a sculpture of Babar, the king of the elephants.

Queen Celeste, Cousin Arthur, and the Old Lady were amazed at how much the little statue looked like Babar.

Definitely, it's a sweet scene but please...

REALITY CHECK

Who here is human? Only the Old Lady, who is approximately the size of the youngest elephant, and looks to weigh about 1/4 as much as him.

* Meanwhile another one of the elephants, despite having no opposable thumbs on his paws, is carving a sculpture?
* Elephants can look at this sculpture and know it is a sculpture?
* Then they are able to recognize the image of Babar and applaud the likeness?

Dream on, kids. And look, I'm game to dream along with everyone else. This is Celesteville, after all. Of course the perfect statue of Babar is going to be carved into one of the nearby mountains.

QUITE THE MIRACULOUS GIFT WRAP FOR BABAR'S BIRTHDAY GIFT

But that's all I'll tell you, because I don't do spoilers, no no!

Such a sweet ending to a Babar book that isn't just fiction but (as usual) fantasy.

[Suheiry Frayre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babar’s Birthday Surprise is a story about the citizens of Celesteville coming together to celebrate the birth of their king- King Babar. This picture book is perfect for children in 1st to 2nd grade as it contains advanced vocabulary for children in those age groups. This book teaches that surprise is an element of birthday celebrations that makes them memorable and unique. This title follows a theme in many picture books, “the codes of the frame and of the right and round.” In the essay “Picturebook Codes,” it is stated that “as the frame usually marks a limit beyond which text cannot go, or from which the image cannot escape, we may associate a sense of violation or of the forbidden or of the miraculous with the breaking of the frame…” (Moebius 1986). Babar’s Birthday Surprise follows this code, with some pages in the book displaying multiple images from different scenes. This protects the reader from viewing the big reveal for Babar’s birthday, otherwise known as “the surprise.” This leaves young readers in suspense, unaware of Babar’s gift from his subjects. That is why, in the end, the image of the gift takes up the final left and right page, showing that we are no longer hidden in the box of “the forbidden or the miraculous.” In this world, birthdays are seen as grand displays of affection, admiration, and gratitude.

[Usama Albastaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice and it takes the attracts the attention of the child easily.

[ColumbusReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one I read from Babar's Anniversary Book. Not rated as high as the others for some reason. Not certain why because I think it's really enjoyable.

Babar's birthday and Podular, the sculptor decides to create a statue for Babar the King. They are all planning a big surprise for Babar and trying to keep the sculptor and the celebration from him with some hijinks along the way.

Nice little story as usual.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen Celeste decides to have a very special present created for Babar's birthday. She enlists Podular to make a monument of Babar on a mountain. Several times, the gift is almost discovered by Babar, but luckily in the end, he is surprised. Really nice illustrations.

[Margaret Chind]

Reprinted and/or excerpt included in Babar's Anniversary Album: 6 Favorite Books.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Celeste has a Mt. Rushmore size sculpture of Babar built into a mountain. Can they keep it a secret from Babar?