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Babar at Home

Babar announces to Cornelius that a baby will be arriving soon; Cornelius is to appear in public with his spectacles and tri-corner hat, and alert the masses.

While Babar waits, he finds he can't read a book calmly, so he goes on a bicycle ride. A canon shot is meant to announce the arrival of the baby, but what can three canon shots mean? (War? No. The arrival of triplets.)

Back with his family, Babar makes some observations. Arthur and Zephir have arrived to pay their respects. The nurse can't find three carriages, so she builds one from a basket, a napkin, and an umbrella. (This makes me think of Babar in Volume One, inventing a digging tool by affixing his trunk to a little shell.)

It's a treat to read Babar in distressing times. The attention to detail is the thing that moves me. For example, it's Celeste, the wise spouse, who knows Babar won't get any reading done as he anxiously waits. And, also, de Brunhoff makes a point of noting that the elephant hordes "listen respectfully" to Cornelius's announcement. That adverb says a fair amount about the utopia Babar has created.

I also like the gentle humor: Babar, who has waged a war and built a civilization, really can't bear the tension of being an expectant father.

As always, the illustrations are colorful and witty. When Babar dreams of being a dad, he sees the face of his forthcoming infant grafted onto a particularly lovely tulip.

Happy reading to you on this strange Tuesday.....
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