Babar's Birthday Surprise

More Babar Abrams is reissuing a quartet of Babar titles by Laurent de Brunhoff, son of Babar creator Jean de Brunhoff. First published in 1970, Babar's Birthday Surprise chronicles the attempts of Babar's friends to keep his gift a secret. In Babar's Battle (1992), the king finds a nonviolent way to fight his rhino nemesis, Rataxes. Meet Babar and His Family (1973) and Babar's Little Girl Makes a Friend (1990) are paper-over-board books in a smaller trim size. The first introduces King Babar, Queen Celeste and their children, Pom, Flora and Alexander; in the second, Flora challenges prejudice when she befriends a little rhino, who happens to be Rataxes's son. (June)