Jean de Brunhoff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean de Brunhoff
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| Born | December 9, 1899 Paris, France |
| Died | October 16, 1937 (aged 37) Montana, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Artist |
| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | Académie de la Grande Chaumière |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Notable works | Babar the Elephant |
| Spouse | Cécile de Brunhoff |
| Children | Laurent, Mathieu, and Thierry |
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Jean de Brunhoff (born December 9, 1899 – died October 16, 1937) was a French artist and writer. He is best known for creating the beloved character Babar the Elephant. The first Babar book was published in 1931.
Early Life and Family
Jean de Brunhoff was born in Paris, France. He was the youngest of four children. His father, Maurice de Brunhoff, was a publisher. Jean went to Protestant schools, including the famous École Alsacienne.
He joined the army near the end of World War I. After the war, he decided to become a professional artist. He studied painting at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. In 1924, he married Cécile Sabouraud, who was a talented pianist. They had three sons: Laurent, Mathieu, and Thierry.
The Story of Babar
The idea for the Babar books started with Jean's wife, Cécile. She made up a bedtime story for their sons, Mathieu and Laurent, when they were young. She was trying to comfort Mathieu, who was sick. The boys loved the story about a little elephant who left the jungle for a big city, much like Paris.
They asked their father, Jean, to draw pictures for the story. He turned it into a picture book with text. It was published by a family-owned company called Le Jardin des Modes. Originally, the book was going to say it was "told by Jean and Cécile de Brunhoff." However, Cécile chose to have her name removed. Because she came up with the original story, some people consider her the true creator of Babar.
Jean de Brunhoff published Histoire de Babar (The Story of Babar). He then created six more Babar books. Sadly, he passed away from tuberculosis, a serious illness, at the age of 37. He is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
After Jean's death, his brother, Michel de Brunhoff, helped publish Jean's last two books. These were Babar and His Children and Babar and Father Christmas. Jean had drawn these books in black and white for a British newspaper. Michel arranged for them to be colored. Jean's then-thirteen-year-old son, Laurent, even helped with the coloring. Later, the French publishing house Hachette bought the rights to the Babar series. Millions of copies of the first seven Babar books have been sold worldwide.
Babar's Legacy Continues
After World War II, Jean's son, Laurent, decided to continue the Babar series. Laurent was also an artist, just like his father. He had studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. Laurent's painting style was a bit different from his father's. He focused more on pictures than on text in his books.
However, Laurent made sure to draw the elephants in the exact style of his father. Because of this, many people didn't even notice that a different person was writing the books. They thought the six-year break in the series was due to the war. Laurent always made it clear that Babar was his father's creation, and his mother's too. He continued the series mostly to keep his father's memory alive and to remember his own childhood.
Published Works
Jean de Brunhoff created these original Babar books:
- The Story of Babar (1934)
- The Travels of Babar (1934)
- Babar the King (1935)
- A.B.C. of Babar (1936)
- Zephir's Holidays (1937)
- Babar and His Children (1938)
- Babar and Father Christmas (1940)
See also
In Spanish: Jean de Brunhoff para niños
