Laurent de Brunhoff was born in Paris, France, the son of French writer and illustrator Jean de Brunhoff. He studied fine arts at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. When his father died of tuberculosis in 1937, de Brunhoff took over the now-famous Babar series of children's books. He also produced posters, record album jackets, and animated cartoons. Since 1985, he has lived in the United States, splitting his time between Middletown, Connecticut and Key West, Florida.