BABAR AND THE NEW BABY

A simplified and condensed version of Babar’s Little Girl (1987), starring Princess Isabelle.

Babar and Celeste welcome the new baby Isabelle to their family. The elephant calf grows from an infant to a toddler to preschooler in short order. She plays with her friends, enjoys adventure and exploration, and loves to dance and run, but most of all, she loves her family. The title is deceptive, since this is not Babar’s story, and Isabelle is only a baby for brief moment. The slight, toddler-friendly text of no more than one to three sentences per page and the iconic, anthropomorphic pachyderms will hold the interest of little ones not quite ready for the length and, yes, the violence of the first Babar story. The companion title, Babar’s Lost and Found (978-1-4197-0981-4), is a condensed version of Babar Loses His Crown (1967) and is more faithful plotwise to its original text, revolving around a mix-up at the opera. While the text is longer and more complicated than its sister book, it is simple enough for youngsters to follow, and the cartoons are as fresh and accessible as ever.

A starter set for grown-up Babar fans who want to introduce the classic characters to their children.