A new book has been added to my list of favorite reads. Usually, the books that make it onto this list are works of widely famous (and usually American) novelists, or from the genres of behavioral economics, sociology, or psychology. This book, however, does not fit perfectly into any of those categories. This book is a book for children, written by a Frenchman during WWII. It's a fantasy story, with interplanetary travels and talking animals and talking flowers.
The Little Prince is a book that I think everyone should read at least once. Parents, read this story to your kids. It will teach them more about empathy and love than almost any other children's book. It's not very long--only about 100 pages--and it contains wonderful illustrations drawn by the author. This book will teach you more about the sensitivities and needs of your child than most parenting books or pamphlets. It will remind you of what your child really needs from you, and what your child really wants to give to you.
Childhood, like so many things, is gradually being contaminated by the harshness and chaos of the world. Children, I feel, are being made to grow up very quickly. Their sensitivities are often condemned or ignored as annoyances or barriers to intellectual and social progression. Children know more than their adult counterparts sometimes guess. Childhood is a time for discovery, and children have already made many discoveries about some of life's greatest questions. The Little Prince is a reminder of the true nature of childhood. The simplicity of this book is brilliant because it reflects the simplicity of a child's mind and the purity of a child's emotions, hopes, and concerns. This book has helped me get closer to becoming "as a little child," and I'm sure that, in at least a small way, it can do the same for you.
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