NEW YORK, March 23, 2024 (AFP) - French artist Laurent de Brunhoff, the

author and illustrator of dozens of children's books starring the affable
elephant character "Babar" created by his father, died Friday at the age of
98, US media reported.

De Brunhoff's wife, Phyllis Rose, had posted on Instagram Wednesday that he
had recently suffered a stroke and was in hospice care at home in the United
States.

Rose told The New York Times on Friday that De Brunhoff, who was born in
Paris in 1925, had died at home in Key West, Florida.

Created in 1931 by Laurent de Brunhoff's parents, the "Babar" series has sold
millions of copies around the world and has been translated into over a dozen
languages.

The illustrated "Babar" series follows the exploits of the eponymous jungle-
born elephant, who receives an upbringing in Paris following his mother's
death by a hunter, then travels back to found his own city. Later editions
take the elephant to a variety of locations, and even into space.

De Brunhoff's father Jean published seven "Babar" books before dying from
tuberculosis at an early age, with the son then deciding at age 21 to carry
on the series.

He would go on to create dozens of works around the character, with his last,
"Babar's Guide to Paris," published in 2017.

"Babar" has also been adapted into several movies and TV shows.