 |
||||||
| Home >> Book Reviews >> The Story of Babar (Babar Books (Random House)) | ||||||
 |
The Story of Babar (Babar Books (Random House)) Review
User Submitted The Story of Babar (Babar Books (Random House)) ReviewsFebruary 16, 2008 one of the better offerings we have very few babar books. he died so young, and his family cannot cut it. the later books are so bad that they're offensive. but this is the first and it works. the only sad thing about it is that babar was not brunhoff's brain child but his wife's and she has never gotten credit for it. she created the elephant as bedtime material for their children. he retold them well, and illustrated them as his children cannot but she should have been co-author at the very least! our kids love this book and the characters and if adults poke holes they can keep quiet. remember, this was told in another day and age and must be read accordingly. December 11, 2007 children love the drawings My 3 1/2 year old son loves this book. It's quite a long story and takes about 10 to 15 minutes. I actually never "read" the story to him, I tell the story in my own words, also because at one point, the mother of Barbar is shot my hunters. I tell my son, that Barbar's mother tripped and Barbar took the opportunity to run away. The rest of the book is marvellous and seems to touch children's longings and imagination, which I as a grownup can not always understand, but seeing how much my son enjoys the story is all I need to know. For some time now my son wants me to tell him the story every evening before going to bed. The drawings are easy to understand, which makes this book even more precious to young children. January 4, 2007 Babar -- The Tradition Continues I am in the process of reading Babar to my fourth grandchild, and she loves it! I grew up with the magical story and timeless pictures, as did my kids. My 19-month old granddaughter likes to sit on my lap for what she calls "Bar-Bar." The pages of Babar going for a drive and the wedding party with all the animals are great to play "Where's the....?" November 3, 2006 mommy gets killed, kiddo gets fancy new duds, and one elephant eats mushroom and dies Uh, classic or not, I don't care for this book. It's yet another kill the mom book -just lioke all the disney stuff starts out. I don't think this is a good choice for today's wee ones. This is NOT what I'd choose to read at bedtime with my kids at all. May 26, 2006 Classic to cherish I had this Babar book as a child and could not resist buying it for my daughter, and I am so happy that I did. This book is so incredible, the pictures and colors so vibrant and the text so incredibly addictive, that your child wil carry it with her forever. I know I have. I was stunned by how much of the dialogue and how many of the pictures I remembered. This book is a reasure that you and your children will share for years to come. Some people my comment about some of the themes, but as a child they went over my head, and as an adult, I recognized how tastefully done they are. Highest possible recommendation March 21, 2006 Lovely story This is such an awesome story. I can remember reading it when I was a child. My three-year-old son can't get enough of this book. Other reviewers have expressed concern with the sad parts of the story (Babar's mother killed and the elephant king dying,) but they didn't bother my son a bit. We just talked about what was happening and he was okay. This is a classic! August 3, 2005 a classic tale to share with your children I love Babar as much for the pictures as for the story. When I read it again to my daughter, I turned to the page where "Alas, that very day, the King of the elephants had eaten a bad mushroom" and thought wow, I remember that! The resurging memory of that illustration is so keen in my mind, it's as if twenty-plus years had just fallen away. And next comes my very favorite line, for its old-fashioned text and neatness of phrase: "It poisoned him and he became ill, so ill that he died. This was a great calamity." Which is not to say that the story of Babar dwells on sad things, because it doesn't. Whatever happens to Babar he deals with it with grace and moves on. Endlessly adaptable, this is an elephant who so charms the ladies that he woos and wins Celeste in just their brief drive home. The only sticking point for some parents who are encountering this book for the first time and therefore don't have their eyes all misting over with tender rememberances of their own childhood is that Babar is chosen to be the new king of the elephants because he is considered to have "learned so much living among men". If you are trying not to teach your children that humans are above and beyond all other animals, you may not want this subtle message. Overall, I think this book is wonderful and, at the end, when he and Celeste fly away in a hot air balloon to begin their honeymoon, it is clear that the story continues. This can be taken in the vein of allowing for endless opportunity of sequels but I prefer to think of it as the beginning of your child's opportunity to answer "what happens next" and regale you with their own series of stories about the adventures of Babar, the little elephant. February 16, 2004 If I were king of the foreeeeest Thank God for the French speakers of the world. Were it not for them, Babar might not have ever been created and we would have to live in a wretched Babar-less world. As it is, however, we are blessed to have this delightful story at our fingertips at any time. The story of Babar was originally published in 1933, and it has stood the test of time with dignity and flair. The story of Babar is simple. After his mother is shot by a cruel hunter, the little elephant runs away to a metropolitan city. Once there, he is taken under the wing of a kindly older lady. Babar then proceeds to become the greatest dandy of children's literature today. Here is the section I love the most: "Babar then buys himself: A shirt with a collar and tie, a suit of a becoming shade of green, then a handsome derby hat, and also shoes with spats". Contrary to popular thought, an elephant in spats is the most dignified thing in the world. With these purchases Babar has transformed himself from rural rube to the original metrosexual. He becomes cultured, learning the rudimentary aspects of human civilization while regaling party guests with his tales of the forest (note his pin-striped pants and casual dinner jacket). Eventually Babar is lured back to his jungle home and is swiftly crowned King of the elephants. The 1933 setting in which Babar acclimatizes himself has grown more charming over the years. And most remarkably? Most older picture books contain at least one racial stereotype somewhere in the midst of a picture. Not so our darling "Babar". I feel safe in saying that you might search through any future adventure of the winsome elephant and not stumble across a single picture or piece of writing that causes you a twenty-first century gasp of disgust. This isn't to say that there aren't some rather peculiar dated aspects to the book. I read this book as a child and had a vivid visceral memory return to me when I saw the sickly state of the former King of the elephants who passed away after eating a bad mushroom. That is a grotesquerie unknown to the kiddies today. But all in all, "Babar" is without fault. Certainly he's the essence of capitalism. One might believe the elephants crown him king as much for his pretty red convertible as for his brains. But Babar is still a unique and moving tale that will continue to entertain the masses of children for years and years to come.
|
|||||
 |
|
|
||||
| Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Advertising | Contact Us | ||||||
| ©2005 Book Savers, All rights reserved. | ||||||
and Preschoolers