The Story of Babar--the early adventures of the enduring, endearing elephant--was written in 1931 by French writer Jean de Brunhoff (1899-1937).

When was Babar the Elephant first published?

The first Babar book, The Story of Babar was published in France in 1931 and was an instant success and Jean de Brunhoff went on to write 6 more Babar books.

Who invented Babar the elephant?

In 1931, Jean de Brunhoff introduced Babar in Histoire de Babar, and Babar enjoyed immediate success. In 1933, A.A. Milne introduced an English-language version, The Story of Babar, in Britain and the United States. Before his death in 1937, Jean de Brunhoff published six more stories.