Laurent De Brunhoff's Babar books are utterly fabulous. Picking up the stories after his father's untimely death at the age of 37, Laurent continued making Babar the awesome and timeless character we've come to know and love.

This story is an absolute corker, dealing with a particular story theme that children absolutely can't resist.

Babar and his family are forced to stay in an abandoned castle one stormy night, and as they settle in something seems a little odd about the place. Wise Babar states categorically that ghosts don't exist, so everyone gets some well needed sleep. But there's definitely something else stalking the castle corridors - a ghost!

Babar's children and their cousins can all see the ghost quite clearly, and the ghost isn't just content with rattling a few chains or tipping over suits of armour. This ghost is very naughty, and likes showing off! Surely trouble can't be far behind!

All our favourite characters crop up in this story, but the real star is the ghost - who might just mend his naughty ways with the right incentive after all!

Definitely one of our favourite Babar stories and such a happy discovery!

Charlotte's best bit: The naughty ghost speeding through the town in a stolen car!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A timeless character, utterly brilliantly picked up by Jean De Brunhoff's son after his father's untimely death. This particular tale is a corker, tapping into children's love of characters that they can see but adults can't.

(Borrowed for review from the awesome Abingdon Library)

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It's quite something to see when a famous author / illustrator's children pick up where they leave off. Richard Scarry's son Huck now draws and writes new Scarry books, and Laurent De Brunhoff has inherited the rich legacy of stories and talent from his father Jean De Brunhoff, to give us all-new Babar tales.

Charlotte wasn't aware that there were newer Babar books than the ones we've been enjoying at home and it took some explaining that these might be different. I hadn't read Laurent's newer stories before so we both wanted to know whether the essence of brilliant Babar stories could be relayed by another, even modernised in places.

Thankfully "Babar's Celestville Games" was deemed "lovely" by Charlotte, essentially a love story with a moral tale about tolerance and nationality woven into its elephantine creases. Babar takes a bit of a back seat in this tale of the Celestville Games, where animals (and elephants) from all over the globe gather to compete in the animal olympics. Babar's children (now all grown up) watch the various events, but Flora falls in love with one of the competitors, Coriander from the country of Mirza.

Their love blossoms and soon there is to be a royal wedding. At first Coriander's parents don't agree (Babar and Celeste are a little less 'stuffy' and wish their daughter well). A Mirza ceremony takes place and the newlyweds live happily ever after.

It's a lovely story and it's evident that Laurent De Brunhoff obviously paid a lot of attention to his dad's work, and has tirelessly kept Babar's legend alive. Really worthwhile if you enjoy the original Jean De Brunhoff stories and want to see if Laurent's own can stand on their own two (or should that be big stomping grey four) feet.


Charlotte's best bit: Flora's exuberant support of Coriander during the games, cheering for Mirza!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Fantastic, the modern books pay homage to the originals wonderfully.