| Caillou | |
|---|---|
| Caillou character | |
Caillou |
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| First appearance | Caillou Makes Cookies (January 1, 1998) |
| Created by | Christine L'Heureux Hélène Desputeaux |
| Voiced by | Bryn McAuley (1996-2000) Jaclyn Linetsky(2000-2003) Annie Bovaird (2006-2010) |
| Information | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Relatives | Parents: Mommy and Daddy (first names unknown) Siblings: Rosie Grandparents: Grandma and Grandpa (first names unknown) |
Caillou (Translated pebble or stone in French and nicknamed The Prince of Imagination) is the main fictional character in the Canadian animated television series Caillou. He was first voiced by Bryn McAuley in 1996, and later by Jaclyn Linetsky from 2000-2003. However, due to her death in 2003, Jaclyn was replaced in Annie Bovaird. Caillou was first shown in the episode "Caillou Makes Cookies" which aired in 1998.
Caillou's name comes from the French word Caillou, meaning pebble, and from a ritual created by Dr. Françoise Dolto (1908–1988). Reflecting her philosophy of respect for the child as a person, she asked children to give her pebbles as a symbolic payment for her consultations, thus giving children complete freedom of choice regarding their treatment.[1]
Contents |
Caillou is a 4-year-old boy with a vivid imagination with friends and family who help him navigate the trials and tribulations of growing up.In season 1 he was 2–3 years old and wore a gray shirt, but later he wore a yellow shirt. Caillou and his family live in a two-story blue house, living next door to Mr. Hinkle's House, whose address is mentioned in one episode: 17 Pine St.[2] His nickname is the "Prince of Imagination". Caillou started attending preschool in the more recent episodes of the show.[3]
The character was created in 1990 as a nine-month-old baby without a hair on his head. He owes his popularity to the combined talents of author and publisher Christine L'Heureux and illustrator Hélène Desputeaux. From the very first Caillou book, Christine L'Heureux's goal was to help children develop their own unique personalities while learning to live in harmony with the world around them. She wanted to create a human figure for children's books, a departure from the common practice of using animals as the main characters in books for babies and young children.[1] The theory was that by making Caillou human, children could more easily identify with Caillou because they are so much like him. As a result, they feel close to him and can better see themselves in each Caillou story.[1]
Caillou's name comes from the French word caillou, meaning pebble, and from a ritual created by Dr. Françoise Dolto. Reflecting her philosophy of respect for the child as a person, she asked children to give her pebbles as a symbolic payment for her consultations, thus giving children complete freedom of choice regarding their treatment.[1]
Because they believed that it was important for babies to play with books, they created “Baby Caillou”. This imprint had a new logo and was characterized by a soothing pastel palette, setting this collection apart from the primary colors for which their other books are so well known. The baby Caillou titles are currently only available in Canada.[4] In the first season of the show, Caillou was only 3 years old and wore a gray shirt. He first appeared in the show as a 3-year-old in the first episode "Caillou Makes Cookies". He later he wore a yellow shirt in the more recent seasons of the show, since season 2.
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