The Little Prince: A Visual Dictionary

I first read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince when I was in high school. We were at my uncle's house then, and being the anti-social kid I was I chose to go to their mini library and browse the books. I figured it would be a short read since it's a thin volume, with illustrations to boot. I finished it in no time and I was completely taken in. I asked to borrow it and my uncle's wife happily obliged, saying that she wishes their kids have the same penchant for reading as I did.

Well, it's been years and I still have the book with me.

Since I lost all my childhood books in a fire that razed through our neighborhood back in 2001, this book can be considered as the oldest one I have, and it's not even technically mine. Hee. I have the deluxe pop-up edition book and it's one of my favorite things I own, but this thin volume holds a special place in my heart. Trivia: did you know that it's second only to the Bible as the world's best-selling book in history?

For Christmas, my boyfriend gave me this gift and oh my goodness, I bawled so much:

The Little Prince: A Visual Dictionary by Christophe Quillien

The first complete visual history of a classic masterpiece

Everything that you need to know about The Little Prince, from the first draft of the Saint-Exupéry novel to the recent animation movie by Mark Osborne.

Who hasn't heard of The Little Prince? First published in the United States in 1943, this classic by Saint-Exupéry is the world s best-selling book, after the Bible.

For the very first time, discover the official and definitive encyclopedia to this planetary myth: the genesis of the masterpiece, the origins of the Little Prince, all of the drawings, Saint-Exupéry's life, and more.

I consider myself to be nimble when it comes to news about books, movies, and other pop culture phenomena when they concern my favorites, but I was completely thrown off guard and blown away by this gift. It was completely unexpected because I didn't even know such a thing exists! Thank you so much, bb! 

Let me give you a quick virtual tour through this book. 

The inside cover pages are filled with Saint-Exupéry's illustrations from the book

Adorable little boy!

One important thing I gleaned from Saint-Exupéry's biography is that he had a very happy childhood.

Early manuscript

An unpublished chapter! I didn't even know there was an unpublished chapter!

Leafing through the following got me ugly-crying again because! They're! Just! So! Beautiful! I am overwhelmed just thinking about how great of an impact this book has made among generations of readers!

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Look! An advertisement for the book in The New York Times in April 1943!

As evidenced by the millions of posts with the hashtag #LePetitPrince on Instagram alone, this cult classic inspired countless artworks, including the watercolor paintings I made.

Collectors were also featured.

This is Jean-Marc Probst, and he has assembled more than 3,400 different editions of The Little Prince since 1980!

Here is a rundown of the Visual Dictionary's contents aside from a biographical timeline and the ones mentioned above: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (his childhood, his life as a writer, his calling in the air, the women associated with him, his exile in America, and his final mission); The Origins of The Little Prince (biographical and personal sources, the man the book was dedicated to, sketches, manuscript and proof sets); The Little Prince, the Ouvre (first editions, French and French-language Editions, the unpublished chapter, variations, translations, illustrations, and critical reception); The Little Prince Universe (a more in-depth look at the characters and settings); The Little Prince Quotations; The Little Prince Bookshelf (sequels and imitations, archive, books on the animated series); Testimonials; The Little Prince On Screen (cinema and television); The Little Prince On Stage (theater, opera and musical productions, multimedia shows, audio recordings); The Little Prince in Comics and Youth Literature; Inspired by The Little Prince (merchandise, fashion, advertising); The Little Prince Around the World; and The Little Prince and Us (fan-art, collectors, exhibitions, non-profit organizations).

Whew, that was hefty! I have a lot of other The Little Prince items [accumulated and gifted by friends throughout the years] in my humble collection like my Little Prince and Little Girl Funko Pops, a mother of pearl pendant, a locket, stickers, notebooks and journals, my Moleskine Planner, folders, a pen, and a coloring book, but this Visual Dictionary is now one of my favorite prized possessions.

He also gave me a pair of Melissa Campana Fitas II. Doesn't it remind you of the Little Prince's rose? It's so glittery and impractical and pretty and special. I leave a trail of glitters wherever I go, I love it so much.

What a treasure, both the gifts and the giver. My heart is full. ♥ Merry Christmas, everyone. May you have a heart that sees rightly, that what is essential is invisible to the eye. (But a new pair of shoes and a book about your favorite book never did hurt anyone.)