Editions du Jardin de la France

First edition with the identifying feature of the true first printing, namely the absence of the elephant on the copyright page facing the first page of text.

Publisher's original binding, navy blue cloth spine showing slight discoloration, orange-red paper-covered boards, title label mounted on the upper cover and carried by Babar the elephant on his shoulders, a few scuffs, notably to the rear cover; green endpapers and pastedowns decorated with a long frieze of elephants holding each other's tails with their trunks; small abrasions to edges and corners.

One hinge slightly split at the head, with the leaves a little loosened at the top; internally well preserved.

Illustrated with drawings by Jean de Brunhoff.