The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

A timeless classic. Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The Little Prince. The perfect audio companion, this Bolinda edition will capture the hearts of listeners of all ages.

The book has been translated into more than 160 languages and, to date has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. It is one of the top 50 best-selling books. It has been adapted into a movie musical by Lerner and Loewe, two different operas, as well as into an animated series. It is often used as a beginner's book for French language students.

A pilot stranded in the desert awakes one morning to see, standing before him, the most extraordinary little fellow. "Please," asks the stranger, "draw me a sheep." And the pilot realizes that when life's events are too difficult to understand, there is no choice but to succumb to their mysteries. He pulls out pencil and paper... And thus begins this wise and enchanting fable that, in teaching the secret of what is really important in life, has changed forever the world for its readers.

This classic fantasy is told as the recollection of a pilot whose plane crashed in the desert. He was surprised, he tells listeners, then exasperated, then enthralled by the mysterious little prince who arrived to keep him company and persistently requested his help. Humphrey Bower's crisp British accent describes the magical and unlikely friendship between the pilot who was struggling to survive and the boy who was trying to return to his tiny home planet. The pace is measured, and the tone grows more melancholy as the narrator resigns himself to the loss of his extraordinary companion. There are occasional awkward moments when the whimsical drawings so essential to the story are represented by short pauses. For listeners familiar with previous versions, there is a translator's note at the end. R.H.H.
AudioFile Magazine [May 08]