Tolog Review: The Little Prince

The Little Prince
by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
reviewed by Francesca Christensen

The Little Prince, a book, by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry, told the story of a pilot stranded in the Sahara Desert and a little boy, known as “the little prince,” who teaches him what is truly important in life. The lonely pilot, in danger of dying of dehydration, wakes up to a small boy asking him to draw him a sheep. Confused, the pilot complies to this strange request and the pair’s relationship begins. The little prince soon reveals that he does not live on Earth, but a different planet “hardly bigger than a house” (De Saint-Exupéry 9). He shares his experiences of his journey to the other surrounding planets and as a child conveys judicious lessons to both the pilot and the readers. The little prince’s curious, persistent nature allows him to question happiness, material possessions, and the role of adults in society. Through his story we are able to see that the most valuable things in life may not be obvious, palpable, material items, but instead the aspects in life that can’t be seen, the ones that have to be left to the imagination.

The Little Prince a very profound story, captivated me from the beginning. The odd, but extraordinary young boy’s strange character intrigued me and left me wondering his story. De Saint-Exupéry’s skillful character development prevented all of the pilot’s questions about the little prince from being answered, leaving him a mystery. This forced the readers to think deeply about The little prince and his role in the pilot’s life. As the wise young boy said “whether it’s a house or the stars or the desert, what makes makes them beautiful is the invisible!” (68) which is not only expressed throughout the book, but in the little prince himself as well. The roles of adults and children also interested me. Throughout the book, adults were depicted as boring, serious, and lacking the ability to understand while the little prince, as a child, wield wisdom and experience. This idea contrasts the roles of children and adults today which appear almost reversed. This story demonstrates the worth of children’s imagination and their ability to see beyond material items. I recommend this book to people of all ages. Although it seems like a children’s book because of the simple language and pictures, the message it conveys speaks to all generations. No matter the age of the reader a lesson can always be learned from this timeless tale.