Common Sense Note
An old-fashioned but well-told story, with the author-illustrator's classic artwork, appeals to wide-eyed young children.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kevin McCaffrey
First published in 1933, this book has become a classic beloved by generations of parents and children. Its long staying power attests to its value, and yet, in retrospect, one suspects it would not be published if it were offered to editors today.
It is written in the rarely-used present tense, and its transitions are preposterous: At a key moment, for example, a rich lady who happens to like elephants comes along, intuits what Babar wants, and gives him her purse for it. This story addresses what a skeptic might believe were values, manners, and behavior that were relevant only between the world wars, when it was originally published.
But, indeed, its simple charm lies in its innocence, its matter-of-fact presentation of all aspects of life, and, its value system, its celebration of flexibility, wonder, acceptance, hard work, and happy pursuit of using one's gifts to make others happy.
The very detailed primary-color chromatic art and line drawings are reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown's classic Goodnight Moon. So many children, their children, and their children's children who have enjoyed this book and all the others by Jean de Brunhoff for so long know that not everything in life has to make sense, but that trying to behave sensibly has its rewards.
THE STORY OF BABAR and its sequels have been published in an anthology, Bonjour, Babar!.
Plot Summary:
Babar runs from a hunter who killed his mother, finally coming to a town where he makes friends with a rich benefactor. But Babar is the kind of elephant who doesn't just rest on charity; he works hard to learn people's ways and be accepted into society. Still, he must eventually return to his own kind, the elephants, who give him the highest tribute when they see the results of his hard effort.
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ViolenceBabar's mother is killed and he runs from the hunter. The hunter chases Babar to try to kill him. Several moments of strong feeling, as when Babar cries as he remembers his dead mother. |
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Social BehaviorBabar's cousins, Arthur and Celeste, run away. |
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