Laurent de Brunhoff, the artist known for bringing the beloved children's character Babar the elephant to life, has passed away at the age of 98. He died at his home in Key West, Fla. due to complications from a stroke, as confirmed by his wife Phyllis Rose.
Babar the elephant, a character that has been featured in numerous children's books since the 1930s, movies like Babar: The Movie and Babar: King of the Elephants, and various other forms of media, was originally created by de Brunhoff's father, Jean de Brunhoff.
The idea for Babar originated from a story Laurent's parents made up for him and his brother when they were just five years old. His mother initially named the elephant Bebe, which his father later changed to Babar after the children's enthusiastic response to the tale.
Jean de Brunhoff developed the character further in the 1931 picture book 'Histoire de Babar' (or 'The Story of Babar'). He went on to publish six more books featuring Babar before his death in 1937.
Laurent, inspired by his father's work, began his own artistic journey with Babar at a young age. His first book, 'Babar's Cousin: That Rascal Arthur,' was published in 1946, marking the beginning of a prolific career that saw the creation of over 40 more Babar books.
While the Babar series achieved great success, it also faced criticism for potentially glorifying French colonialism and portraying African people in a stereotypical manner. De Brunhoff acknowledged these concerns and expressed regret over some of his earlier works.
Throughout his career, de Brunhoff collaborated with his wives and family members on Babar stories, with his second wife Rose playing a significant role in co-writing and shaping the later narratives.
De Brunhoff's legacy lives on through his family, including his children, wife, stepson, brothers, and grandchildren. He often identified himself with Babar, stating that the elephant was a central part of his life and artistic expression.
