Babar's ABC

Laurent de Brunhoff's Babar's ABC reissue from Abrams in 2012 brings the beloved elephant king back for a new generation in a handsome case edition. Each letter gets a whimsical illustrated scene—crocodiles chasing crows, pigs in purple pajamas, kittens loving kisses—that delights in alliteration and playful imagery rather than rote memorization. De Brunhoff has stewarded the Babar franchise for over sixty years, and the Abrams reissue production quality reflects that legacy. Worth knowing for those who care about literary history: Babar's colonial-era origins have drawn some scholarly discussion over the decades, though this is rarely relevant to a toddler working through the alphabet. As an ABC book for twos and threes, the iconic character and beautiful presentation make it stand out in a very crowded category.