THE ART OF BABAR

His tales translated into 17 languages, Babar the elephant fled the jungle and entered Western civilization in 1931 in a book by the de Brunhoffs. Here, for the first itme, is a fascinating look at the story behind Babar and his creators. 280 illustrations, 256 in full color.

With cooperation from Laurent de Brunhoff, whose father Jean created Babar in 1931, Weber, director of the Josef Albers Foundation in Connecticut, deepens readers' appreciation for this French family and their artistry. Jean's death at 37 in 1937 ended the tales about the beloved Babar until Laurent revived them in 1946. Today, the adventures of King Babar, Queen Celeste and their offspring are still international favorites. This beautiful volume includes early de Brunhoff family photos and a rich collection of paintings by father and son, those that illustrate the Babar books and other works displaying the artists' versatility. A touching biography combined with singular eye-appeal, the book is a lasting treasure. North Light Book Club and Graphic Artist's Book Club selections.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The value of this volume lies chiefly in its many working sketches and studies for the Babar books. Fine reproductions (250 in color) reveal the clarity and freedom of the original watercolors (although some fading distorts comparisons with the saturated and muddy colors of the printed books). The text gives useful information on the Brunhoffs' working methods but nothing on the printing of their art. Weber's art-historical name-dropping is unhelpful, and Laurent's contribution, hitherto undervalued, is here overpraised: few would agree that any aspect of his work "represents a leap beyond his father's achievement." This is more an appreciation than a work of criticism or scholarship; there is no secondary bibliography, and the few footnotes include a misreading of one citation (to Hardyment's Heidi's Alp ) and a phantom reference to Erasmus.
- Patricia Dooley, Univ. of Washington Lib. Sch., Seattle
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.