Laurent de Brunhoff obit

Babar author and illustrator Laurent de Brunhoff dies aged 98

 

He was not on the list.

The French artist Laurent de Brunhoff, the author and illustrator of dozens of children's books starring the affable elephant character Babar created by his father, has died at the age of 98.

De Brunhoff's wife, Phyllis Rose, had posted on Instagram that he had recently suffered a stroke and was in hospice care at home in the United States.

Rose told The New York Times on Friday that de Brunhoff, who was born in Paris in 1925, had died at home in Key West, Florida.

Created in 1931 by Laurent de Brunhoff's parents, the Babar series has sold millions of copies around the world and has been translated into over a dozen languages.

The illustrated Babar series follows the exploits of the eponymous jungle-born elephant, who receives an upbringing in Paris following his mother's death by a hunter, then travels back to establish his own city.

Later editions take the elephant to a variety of locations, and even into space.

De Brunhoff's father Jean published seven Babar books before dying from tuberculosis at an early age, with the son then deciding at age 21 to carry on the series.

He would go on to create dozens of works around the character, with his last, Babar's Guide to Paris, published in 2017.

Babar has also been adapted into several movies and TV shows.

Bibliography

Babar's Cousin: That Rascal Arthur. New York: Random House, 1948. (Babar et ce coquin d'Arthur. Paris: 1946)

Babar's Picnic. New York: Random House, 1949.

Babar's Visit to Bird Island. New York: Random House, 1952.

Babar's Fair. New York: Random House, 1955.

A tue-tete. Paris: Juillard, 1957.

Babar and the Professor. New York: Random House, 1957.

Serafina the Giraffe. Cleveland: World Publishing Co., 1961.

Serafina's Lucky Find. Cleveland: World Publishing Co., 1962.

Babar's Castle. New York: Random House, 1962.

Captain Serafina. Cleveland: World Publishing Co., 1963.

Anatole and His Donkey. New York: Macmillan, 1963.

Babar's French Lessons. New York: Random House, 1963.

Babar Comes to America. New York: Random House, 1965.

Babar's Spanish Lessons. New York: Random House, 1965.

Bonhomme. New York: Pantheon, 1965.

Babar Learns to Cook. New York: Random House, 1967.

Babar Loses His Crown. New York: Random House, 1967.

Babar's Games. New York: Random House, 1968.

Babar's Moon Trip. New York: Random House, 1969.

Babar's Trunk. New York: Random House, 1969.

Babar's Birthday Surprise. New York: Random House, 1970

Gregory and the Lady Turtle in the Valley of the Music Trees. New York: Pantheon, 1971.

Babar's Other Trunk. New York: Random House, 1971.

Babar Visits Another Planet. New York: Random House, 1972.

Meet Babar and His Family. New York: Random House, 1973.

Babar's Bookmobile. New York: Random House, 1974.

Bonhomme and the Huge Beast. New York: Pantheon, 1974.

Babar and the Wully-Wully. New York: Random House, 1975. (Babar et le Wouly-Wouly. Paris: Hachette)

Babar Saves the Day. New York: Random House, 1976.

Babar's Mystery. New York: Random House, 1978. (Babar et les quatre voleurs. Paris: Hachette)

The One Pig with Horns. New York: Pantheon, 1979.

Babar the Magician. New York: Random House, 1980.

Babar's Little Library. New York: Random House, 1980

Babar and the Ghost. New York: Random House, 1981. (Babar et le fantôme. Paris: Hachette)

Babar's Anniversary Album. New York: Random House, 1981.

Babar's A.B.C. New York: Random House, 1983.

Babar's Book of Color. New YOrk: Random House, 1984.

Babar's Counting Book. New York: Random House, 1986.

Babar's Little Girl. New York: Random House, 1987. (Babar et sa fille Isabelle. Paris: Hachette)

"Christmas with Babar & Baby Isabelle." Woman's Day, 22 December 1987.

Babar's Adventures, Calendar for 1988. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1988.

Babar's Little Circus Star. New York: Random House, 1988.

Babar in Hollywood, Calendar for 1990. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1989.

Babar's Busy Year. New York: Random House, 1989.

Babar in History, Calendar for 1991. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1990.

Isabelle's New Friend. New York: Random House, 1990.

Babar's Battle. New York: Random House, 1992. (La victoire de Babar. Paris: Hachette)

Babar's Rescue. New York: Random House, 1993. (Babar et la cité perdue. Paris: Hachette)

Babar and the Succotash Bird. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2000. (Babar et l'oiseau magicien. Paris: Hachette)

Babar's Yoga for Elephants. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002. (Babar: le yoga des éléphants. Paris: Hacette)

Babar's Museum of Art. New York, Harry N. Abrams, 2003. (Le musée de Babar. Paris: Hachette)

Babar's World Tour. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2005. (Le tour du monde de Babar. Paris: Hachette)

Babar's USA. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2008.

Babar's Celesteville Games. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2011.

Babar and His Family (An adaptation of Meet Babar and His Family. 1973). New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2012.

B Is for Babar: An Alphabet Book (An adaptation of Babar's A.B.C.. 1983). New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2012.

Babar and the New Baby (An adaptation of Babar's Little Girl. 1987). New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2013.

Babar's Guide to Paris. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2017.