Based on Jean de Brunhoff’s 1931 storybook classic, Best Friends Forever is based on the tale that Babar and his wife Cecile invent for their children. This Fall, the unforgettable, family favorite BABAR: THE CLASSIC SERIES comes to rich life with the first releases in the eOne DVD series.
Best Friends Forever Featuring four episodes that focus on the bonds Babar shares with his pals and family, in each adventure the Elephant King discovers important lessons on cooperation, teamwork and understanding, teaching children the same. In “City Ways,” Babar, after having wandered alone and confused into the Big City, is befriended by Madame, an old lady of elegance and wit who teaches him how to fit into the human world by being – just himself. This is such a sweet segment, I loved it! When Madame throws Babar a big coming out party, Babar thinks that he has to act arrogantly and with ways that are simply not HIM, and Madame immediately calls him on the carpet to “just be himself.” As Babar switches his tactics, everyone falls in love with him! Absolutely adorable, I could have watched it 15 times!
In “Between Friends,” Babar reminisces about the time his future wife Celeste and his friend Zephir had an accident and ended up in court. (This one is adorable too). In “Friendly Agreement,” Cornelius and Pompadour have a major disagreement and vow to never speak again, although they most certainly do! In “An Elephant’s Best Friend,” Babar excitedly finds a pet warthog in the jungle and reluctantly returns it when he learns that it belongs to Lady Rataxes.
I still remember holding my LARGE (for a 6 year old) BABAR book in my small hands at the library, and falling in love with the gentle elephant who becomes king and marries Celeste. Like all classics, this one is an absolute delight, and who can forget Babar in his green suit and hat? eOne has performed an amazing job with the Classic Series, and I can’t wait to give these DVDs to my grandchildren! Well done!
Babar – School Days features four episodes about Babar’s own school day adventures as well as those of his friends and family. In each tale, Babar learns important lessons concerning acceptance, honesty and patience. In “School Days,” Babar remembers about his early education when he and his friends were picked on by the school bullies because they all looked different. But Babar soon realizes everyone should be proud of themselves because differences are what make everyone unique and special. Especially relevant as our little ones return to school this fall, and have to face their own “bullies” in the schoolyard. In “Kings of the Castle,” Babar and Lord Rataxes the rhino are convinced to trade places for the day, learning in often amusing scenes, that it isn’t easy to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes! In “Every Basket Has a Silver Lining,” Babar’s son, Pom, the towel boy on the basketball team, learns a valuable lesson about not lying about his playing status. In “Peer Pressure,” King Babar recalls having to make a tough decision between loyalty to friendship and loyalty to the law.
These four sequences are filled with Babar nostalgia as he teaches his sons and remembers the lessons he learned as he went off to school. These are all relevant issues that children face, and through Babar’s mistakes and courage, these DVDs show kids how to cope and learn. They are wonderfully animated and scripted and I LOVED them~!
Babar the Classic Series: Best Friends Forever
Ratings are based on a 5-star scale
Overall: 5
Review by Broad “A” – Ava
We received product for our toy review. All opinions are our own.
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