“Cecile de Brunhoff, the inspiration for Babar, the enchanting little elephant whose adventures captivated generations of children, has died in Paris. She was 99.”

—Inspiration for ‘Babar the Elephant’ DiesAP)

To say that somebody was the inspiration for a cartoon Elephant suggests something unflattering. The headline could have been clearer: “Inspiration for ‘Babar’ Stories Dies” ?