A Book Summary: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) is one of those rare books that’s as moving for adults as it is magical for children. Written by French aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, this novella tells the story of a stranded pilot who meets an extraordinary child from a faraway asteroid. What unfolds is a tender, philosophical meditation on love, loneliness, imagination, and the things we forget as we grow older.

A Pilot, A Drawing, and A Mysterious Little Boy

Our narrator, an aviator, grew up with dreams of drawing. But grown-ups never appreciated his imagination. When he once drew a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant, they all said it looked like a hat. They told him to focus on practical things like arithmetic and geography. So he did. He became a pilot and drifted into the loneliness of adulthood.

That is, until one day, he crashes in the Sahara desert and meets a curious little boy who asks him, of all things, to draw a sheep.

Thus begins their unlikely friendship.

After several failed attempts, the aviator sketches a box and tells the boy, “The sheep is inside.” This answer delights the boy, and from there, he begins to share his story. The boy is no ordinary child—he’s the Little Prince, and he comes from a tiny asteroid known as B-612.

Life on an Asteroid

On his home planet, the Little Prince lived alone with three volcanoes and a single rose. He cared deeply for this rose—he watered her, shielded her from wind, and listened to her constant demands. But he didn’t understand her affection, and eventually, he left to explore the universe.

In his travels, the Prince encounters a series of bizarre adults, each representing a different failing of grown-up logic—a king who wants to rule over everything, a businessman obsessed with counting stars, a drunkard who drinks out of shame, a lamplighter stuck in a one-minute day, and a geographer who never explores.

These figures puzzle the Prince. They seem to have forgotten what really matters.

Arrival on Earth and Meeting the Fox

When he arrives on Earth, the Little Prince wanders a vast desert, meets a cryptic snake, and stumbles upon a garden full of roses just like his own. Devastated by the realization that his rose might not be unique, he begins to cry.

That’s when he meets the Fox.

The Fox explains the idea of taming—forming a bond that makes someone or something special. He teaches the Prince that what makes the rose unique isn’t her appearance, but the time and love the Prince devoted to her.

The Fox leaves him with one of the most quoted lessons in literature:

“What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

A Farewell Beneath the Stars

After spending eight days in the desert, the aviator and the Little Prince find a well. The pilot repairs his plane, but the Prince, too, must go home. He promises the aviator that when he looks at the stars, he will hear the Little Prince’s laughter echoing through them.

That night, the Little Prince meets the snake again. With one final bite, the Prince’s earthly body is left behind. But the pilot knows he has returned to his planet, his rose, and his little volcanoes.

The narrator returns to civilization but never forgets his friend. He draws again. He writes this book. And every night, he looks at the stars, waiting to hear laughter.

Why This Book Still Matters

The Little Prince is a story about seeing with the heart rather than the eyes. It invites us to question the things we value—titles, possessions, numbers—and instead focus on love, connection, and imagination.

It is a reminder that growing up should not mean forgetting how to feel.

As the Fox says,

“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”

Where to Read It

If you have not read this beautiful classic or want to revisit it with new eyes, you can get your copy of The Little Prince from Books Mandala today.

You can also explore more fiction classics and gift-worthy books from our curated collections.

Want a Visual Recap?

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Final Thought

Whether you are a child, a dreamer, or a grown-up who remembers what it was like to be one, The Little Prince has something to say to you. Read it slowly. Sit with its truths. And when you look up at the stars tonight, maybe you’ll hear laughter too.