R I P Laurent de Brunhoff

[Book Concierge]

Laurent de Brunhoff who carried on his father's legacy by continuing the Babar the Elephant series, has passed away.

First book in the series: The Story of Babar
First book that Laurent wrote: Babar's Cousin: That Rascal Arthur

I am in mourning....

[Theresa]

Ah, sending you hugs, BC.

[Robin P]

I adored the original book but I was a bit traumatized by the elephant (the old kint?) who eats a bad mushroom and gets shriveled up and green.

[Joanne]

I am sure you and all your elephants will find a good way to honor him-RIP

[KateNZ]

End of an era!

[Theresa]

Here's a link to a 2008 exhibit at the Morgan Library and Museum that I saw. I'll keep my eye out for a future exhibit - probably in 2025 as this year is already set up with the 100th Anniversary exhibits.

https://www.themorgan.org/collection/...

[Robin P]

Of course, looking back on it, there certainly is a colonial subtext. It is better to go to the city, wear clothes, and drive cars than to stay in the jungle (Babar does go back but he brings "civiization" with him.)

The page-long article says that it was actually the mother who came up with the story, and her husband illustrated, then of course the son carried on the tradition.

[Theresa]

If you check the website of the Morgan Library, I think you will find even more as it has a lot of Babar and Brunhoff in its collections.

[Book Concierge]

I saw a traveling exhibit of the artwork back in the mid '80s at Northwestern University in Evanston IL.

[Doughgirl5562]

BC, Was it the Babar series that started your love of elephants?

[Book Concierge]

Doughgirl5562 wrote: "BC, Was it the Babar series that started your love of elephants?"

No ... I loved them VERY early on. In my baby book, my mother recorded my first word as "elefante" (though it probably came out more like "la fan ay")

[Theresa]

OK so who thought it was a perfect newborn baby gift to give a stuffed elephant to Baby Tessa?

Which I happen to think is an excellent newborn baby gift!

[Book Concierge]

It's funny, but the only stuffed animal I really remember from my VERY young age was a large wolf named "Willy" .... after my "Uncle" Willy (a friend and neighbor who never married, but doted on us kids). In the one pic I have of me and Willy (the wolf) I'm about 2 or 3 years old and the wolf is taller than I am!

Uncle Willy remained in our neighborhood until long after I was out of college. He always brought me a box of chocolate turtles or pralines when I came home from college on break.