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Parents' Guide to

Babar: King of the Elephants

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Delightful story, with one scary moment for younger kids.

Movie G 1999 80 minutes
Babar: King of the Elephants Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

Lavendel
Lavendel Adult
April 14, 2015
age 12+

Very heart-breaking.

There are a lot of wonderful lessons, feeling of loving families and playful elephant children. Lovely music. Beautiful stories. It's a great show. There are subjects explored and depicted which are very hard to watch even for an adult. Terrifying scenes of a child losing their mother to hunters(murder). I don't think that it's good to make little children so sad as they will be when they see Babar's mom shot, and Babar split away from his herd, lost and alone. It is just too sad. If you let your young children have the opportunity to watch this beautiful series, please skip the first episode at least.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

When Babar's mother is shot and killed by a poacher, Babar wanders lost through the jungle until he comes into a city. There, he meets Madame, who tries to tame him by taking Babar to school and dressing him in the finest clothes. While Babar loves Madame and everything she has done for him, he misses the jungle, so when Babar's friends come to the city to find him, Babar leaves with them. Upon returning, Babar must make peace with the rhinos who are angry with the elephants over a childish prank. Upon being crowned king, Babar begins to put into action his dreams of building a city -- Celesteville -- with the help of his friends in the jungle.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

For parents, this is a delightful revisiting of the classic French children's story, replete with the distinct drawing style and unforgettable characters like Babar, Madame, and Queen Celeste. For kids, this movie is an entertaining introduction to the stories and characters who inhabit Babar's world filled with creative approaches to imparting valuable life lessons on kindness, consideration, and cooperation.

The stories and events within the movie are easy to understand and enjoyable for both kids and adults. A word of warning though: Early in the film, there is a scene where Babar's mother is shot and killed by a poacher. This might be too much for younger or more sensitive viewers, but on the whole, Babar: King of the Elephants is a delightful and sweet story from one of the most memorable characters from children's books.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Babar in the city. Before he meets Madam how do the different people in the city react to Babar?

  • Why do the rhinos want to have a war with the elephants, and how do the elephants avoid and ultimately make peace with the rhinos?

  • How does this movie compare to the books? What's similar and different? Do you prefer one format over the other?

Movie Details

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