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Le Petit Prince is the wonderfully touching and creative story of a man who meets an extraordinary boy and relearns what it means to be a child. It is a French classic in children's literature, suitable for about ages 9 to 12, although the whimsical drawings will also appeal to younger children. It is an excellent book for beginning-to-intermediate French students as well as for anyone who is tired of acting like une grande personne.

Novel and Audiobook

I have always loved Le Petit Prince, ever since I read it in a high school French class, and it makes a delightful audiobook. One person, Mr. Bernard Giraudeau, gives voice to the narrator as well as all 11 characters, and the audio follows the novel very closely. The sound effects and background music are subtle and succeed in enhancing the narration without overwhelming it. The 2-disk set also includes several recordings by the author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry himself. You can purchase the CD and book or just the CD if, like me, you still have the original copy from the first time you read Le Petit Prince in school. :-)

Le Petit Prince

When the narrator's plane goes down in an African desert, he fears for his life. He has only enough water for eight days, and there are no mechanics or stores in this uninhabited land. While struggling to repair the machine on his own, he meets a very unusual child with a somewhat unusual request. For eight days, the boy tells his remarkable story: where he is from, what his life was like there, why he left his own tiny planet to visit the Earth, and what he thinks of the flowers, snakes, foxes, and big people he met along the way.

The narrator can do nothing but feel more and more awed by and protective of this young boy. The little prince reminds the narrator—and the reader—of the joy of seeing the world through a child's eyes, even when you are all grown up. You are limited only by your own imagination.

About the Author

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a French pilot, writer, and real-life hero. His other books include Vol de Nuit (Night Flight), Courrier sud (Southbound Mail), Terre des hommes (Wind, Sand, and Stars), and Pilote de guerre (Flight to Arras). Antoine de Saint-Exupéry disappeared during a World War II air battle over Corsica.

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