First published in 1943, this book is a classic piece of children’s literature that, like most lasting pieces of children’s literature, isn’t just for children. Its impact on readers of all ages is evident in a few simple statistics:

The Little Prince (originally published in French as Le Petit Prince) has been translated into over 250 languages and dialects. More than 200 million copies have been sold around the world. And it has been adapted into nearly every medium out there, potentially even the one you’re about to witness.

There are so many incredible and touching scenes in this book—and memorable, thought-provoking lines of beautifully poetic prose—that it’s actually a little frightening to be attempting an Interrobang interpretation of it. But I guess if there’s one thing I’ve learned from this book, it’s that you have to stop being frightened by the world and all its challenges and instead try to do interesting and meaningful things. Reading from this book is certainly meaningful and I do hope you enjoy it…but I will make this very important disclaimer: I strongly urge you to track down a copy of your own and read it, cover to cover, preferably in one sitting. Being a novella, that is an easily attainable task, and I promise, you’ll thank me for it. If you’ve already read the book, read it again. And then again after that.

The Little Prince is a story that isn’t easy to describe, but I’ll give you a quick summary of the plot. The narrator—a pilot—crash-lands in the Sahara Desert where he inexplicably meets a “funny little fellow”, who asks him to draw a sheep. The unlikely pair slowly become friends and the Little Prince’s story is revealed. He comes from another planet, a small asteroid the size of a house where he has three tiny volcanoes, invasive baobab trees, and a single rose. Their conversations are childlike but meaningful. Through the Little Prince, the narrator starts to see his own faults, mainly a loss of innocence and wonder—a fault that so many adults share. A lyrical philosophy works its way into the story at times with incredible subtlety. A series of almost parable- or fable-like chapters follows, the Little Prince’s journey from his planet to ours, his encounters with other people, plants, and animals told plainly and with simplistic meaning. But simplistic doesn’t mean it’s not profound—it most certainly is.

The Little Prince is without a doubt one of the best children’s books ever written and it is as enjoyable to read as an adult as it must be to have it read to you as a child. And maybe in reading the book you might learn to be not quite as “adult” as you think you ought to be.