The Little Prince, Saint Exupery, an immortal book

"The Little Prince", a reading for all children, from 1 to 100 years

The Little Prince is a short novel by the French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944). The work was published in April 1943, in English and French, by the American publisher Reynal & Hitchcock; the French publisher Éditions Gallimard did it in 1946, after the liberation of France. Saint-Exupéry, winner of literary prizes of France and military pilot in the Second World War, wrote and illustrated the manuscript while he was exiled in the United States after the Battle of France.

The Little Prince is considered as a children's book because of the way in which it is written, but in fact it deals with deep issues such as the meaning of life, loneliness, friendship, love and loss.

The Little Prince is among the best books of the twentieth century in France, and in the world it is known so much that it has been translated into more than two hundred and fifty languages ​​and dialects, including the Braille reading system. It is also one of the best-selling books of all time, with more than 140 million copies worldwide.

The universal acceptance of The Little Prince is not left alone in the work itself. The numerous adaptations and derivative works extend the good influence over time in the continuous generations. There are films, musicals, animated series, plays, audio versions transmitted by radio, operas and songs with allusions to the plot of the novel. The work is also "updated" to be more in tune with the children of the 21st century.

In addition to the adaptations, The Little Prince has inspired for the creation of works like video games of the series of Super Mario; an episode of the Lost series, or as iconic figures that promote actions for the protection of the environment (Toshiba) or against smoking (Veolia Environnement)

Since its publication in 1943, The Little Prince has captivated millions of readers around the world; and it is one of the most beloved books on the planet; It is one of those rare jewels that contain a piece of wisdom without limits of time, space or age in the case of readers. What he says reaches everyone, children and those who were children and have not forgotten.

The original drawings

Shortly after publishing The Little Prince, Saint Exupery put the drawings in a bread bag and handed it to his friend Silvia Hamilton. He then left for Algeria as a military pilot of the French Air Force. On July 31, 1944 he went on a reconnaissance mission and never returned. He was 44 years old when he died.

In 1968, the Morgan Library in New York purchased the original manuscripts and watercolors. The drawings are full of crossed out words, cigarette burns and coffee stains, which only the most real, most human.

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