The inspiration for Barbapapa came by chance in the Luxembourg Garden in Paris one day in May 1970. While walking in the park with Annette Tison, Talus Taylor thought he heard a child ask his parents for something called "Baa baa baa baa". Not speaking French, he asked Tison what the words meant. She explained that the child was asking for a treat called Barbe à papa. Later at a restaurant, the couple began to draw on the tablecloth, and came up with a character inspired by the candy: a pink and round character. When it came time to give it a name, Barbapapa came naturally. Several European publishers expressed interest in Barbapapa but did not wish to spend the publishing cost. Frank Fehmers, a Dutch publisher, subsequently set up a co-production and the first editions were published in 1970. The original editions were published in French by L'École des Loisirs, in Dutch by Frank Fehmers Productions, in British English by the Ernest Benn Company, and in American English by the Henry Z. Walck Co.
Characters
The main characters in the books are the Barbapapa family, who are most notable for their ability to shapeshift at will. In their native form, Barbapapas are :wikt:blob|blob-shaped, with a distinct head and arms, but no legs. Male Barbapapas have rounder bottoms, whereas female Barbapapas have a more slender form. Each Barbapapa can adopt any form they choose, but they remain easily identifiable by always retaining their faces and their distinctive color. Barbapapa himself is a generally papaya-shaped, pink shapeshifting blob-like creature who grows from the ground and tries to fit in the human world. The shapeshifting is usually accompanied by the saying "Clickety Click—Barba Trick", or in the 1970s British dub "All Change!" After various adventures, Barbapapa comes across a female of his species, named Barbamama. They produce seven children: Four sons: Barbabravo, a sports fan, Barbabright, a scientist, Barbazoo, a nature enthusiast and Barbabeau, a painter, as well as three daughters: Barbalala, a musician, Barbabelle, a narcissistic beauty queen, and Barbalib, an intellectual.
Adaptations
Television
A few years after the book had been produced, and when more titles had been published, Fehmers expanded the project to television films in conjunction with Joop Visch of Polyscope-Polygram, with the story boards designed by Taylor. After twelve years, Fehmers and Tison/Taylor discontinued their business relationship. The first cartoon film was almost five minutes long and was released on television in 1973. In 1999, An Japanese animated series called Barbapapa Around the World was aired. Animated by Studio Pierrot and produced by Kodansha, the series depicted the family going on vacation through different countries. The series aired over 50 episodes. In 2019, a new animated show produced by Normaal Animation aired on TF1 in France and Nick Jr. in other countries. The show will be written by Alice Taylor and Thomas Taylor. Alice is the daughter of Tison and Taylor.
A comic book version was also created. Both the cartoons and comics sometimes show concerns about the environment and contain environmental messages.
Legacy
The Barbapapa cartoon is popular in both mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar where it is referred to as Chale Papababa. In 2007 a Dar-es-Salaam based group used the name "Poppaboppabas" as a comparison between the shape shifting cryptid Popobawa and the cartoon, comparing their own musical adaptability to the characters of the cartoon. Google created a doodle celebrating the 45th anniversary of the publishing of Barbapapa on May 19, 2015.
