I remember watching it very early in the morning while my parents slept. Lucky for me, the Barbapapa television program, a low budget animated version of the storybooks, aired in the 1970s on channel 56, in the metro Boston area. Over the years of talking about them I discovered that while the Barbapapas were well known in France where the authors lived, as well as other parts of Europe and even Japan, very few Americans were ever exposed to them. Given how much I enjoy Tison and Taylor’s illustrations and positive messages, I’m surprised that more people don’t know about them. The duo also wrote Look Out For Ghosts, a fun storybook with glow-in-the-dark pictures. Both extremely informative books feature impressive drawings of animals more grounded in reality than the Barbapapas, but with touches of whimsy nonetheless. Looking for works of theirs beyond the Barbapapa series, I discovered two children’s reference books, The Big Book of Animal Records, and The Big Book of Amazing Animal Behavior. Reading and watching Barbapapa stories, it becomes clear that authors Tison and Taylor were animal lovers and environmentalists. Humans learned their lesson and cleaned up their act in order to have the Barbapapas return, along with the animal kingdom. In the book Barbapapa’s Ark, the colorful pear-shaped family members felt dismayed at the pollution and mistreatment of animals on earth, so they formed into a rocket ship, and escaped with a selection of creatures great and small. In a later story he traveled the world searching for others of his kind, only to discover that his companions were in his own back yard all along, growing in the garden as he did.
The family sent him to a zoo, but he escaped, went on to rescue some folks from a burning building by transforming into a staircase, and was welcomed back with open arms. The book Barbapapa reveals that the big guy himself originated in a (human) family’s garden. They love to turn themselves into things like boats and planes for recreation, and into animal shapes to frolic among the wildlife, but often use their transformative powers to do good deeds and help people. The family includes, in addition to the patriarch, his wife Barbamama, and children including the very strong Barbabravo, the musically gifted Barbalala, the animal lover Barbazoo, the bookworm Barbalib, and the artistic Barbabeau.
#Cavorite shape series
In a series of children’s books, he leads his family of creatures, called Barbapapas, as they have adventures and solve problems using their unique skill, the ability to “change their shapes and sizes very easily,” as the theme song lyrics explain. Partners Annette Tison and Talus Taylor created Barbapapa, a gentle and friendly shape-shifting pink blob in the 1970s. Those in the latter group may even burst into song, remembering the theme song from the kids’ show about the strange creature and his family, Barbapapa. Either people have no idea what I’m talking about, or they light up, eager to reminisce about the characters they also adored but had long since forgotten about.
When I mention my favorite series of books (and corresponding television shows) from my childhood I get one of two reactions.
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