Laurent de Brunhoff has kept the spirit of Babar and his family alive for more than 50 years. Originally created by Laurent's mother as a bedtime story, Babar the elephant first came to life through the art of Laurent's father, Jean de Brunhoff, who produced seven books about the character before his untimely death. Building on his father's original framework, Laurent has gone on to provide many new adventures for the elephant family while giving them new spirit through his use of line and colour. Laurent de Brunhoff lives in Connecticut with his wife, writer Phyllis Rose.