Belle and Sébastien is based on a novel by Cécile Aubry. The story is about a six year old boy named Sébastien and his dog Belle, a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, They live in a small alpine village on the French side of the border between France and Italy. Sébastien lives with his adopted grandfather, sister, and brother. Sébastien's mother died after giving birth to him while trying to cross the border on Saint Sebastian's day.
The novel, known in English-speaking countries as Belle and Sebastian, was made into a French live-action television series in 1965. And dubbed into English for the BBC first airing in 1967