The Little Prince

A much loved classic of children's science fiction is The Little Prince, which has been translated to over 250 languages and adapted for stage, screen, ballet, and even opera. The Little Prince tells the story of an aviator who crash-lands in the desert only to meet a young prince who claims to be from an asteroid. The prince is lonely on his asteroid which has only volcanoes, deadly plants, and one very beautiful but very vain rose that the prince loves and cares for. Feeling used by the rose, the prince decided to explore the galaxy to find new friends, but all of the other grown ups that he's encountered have been too wrapped up in their own lives to be a friend to him. That is, until he meets the aviator. Though brief, this encounter changes the aviator profoundly, allowing him to once more look at the world with child-like wonder.At the end, each of the friends must return home. This is a profound book about what it is like to be a child, and the importance of not losing that innocence and honesty as an adult. Children ages 6 and up will love the illustrations and the beauty of the story, and adults will appreciate the complex lessons that it offers as the book can be read with several different interpretations. A sad ending, however, makes this a book that parents might want to shy away from with younger children.