Babar

Brunhoff, Jean de, and Merle Haas. The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant. New York: Random House, 1937.

The children's book, The Story of Babar the Little Elephant, is often criticized as being racist, sexist, and imperialistic. In his book of essays, Should We Burn Babar? progressive educator Herbert R. Kohl concludes that while he doesn't want to ban or burn Babar, he chooses not to buy a copy for his grandchildren. Fair enough.

Kohl, Herbert R. Should We Burn Babar?: Essays on Children's Literature and the Power of Stories. New York: New Press, 1995.

Although it wasn't my very favorite book when I was little, it was definitely in the top 25. I loved the goofy, matter of fact tone of the narrator:

" . . . the King of the elephants had eaten a bad mushroom. It poisoned him and he became ill, so ill that he died. This was a great calamity."

Personally, I think Babar teaches kids a valuable lesson:

Beware of Strange Mushrooms.
Phillips, Jane Ellen. LSD, PCP & Other Hallucinogens. Junior drug awareness. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2000.

I love elephants (and penguins, too!)

One of my wonderful blogging friends, Lilly, posted this incredible story about an unlikely friendship between an elephant and a dog:



(Elephants are such sensitive creatures. It breaks my heart that they are often victims of human cruelty: circuses.com.)

On a lighter note, here is another fascinating story about two animals in love: And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, with illustrations by Henry Cole.

Richardson, Justin, Peter Parnell, and Henry Cole. And Tango Makes Three. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005.

Sadly, it is one of the most challenged books in America.