“The Little Prince” is a timeless tale because it touches upon childhood, imagination and the inevitability of growing up. The pilot in this story loses touch with that part of himself. It takes a plane-crash, a stay in the desert and some time with the little prince to find it again. While reading this story as a high school student, I never felt that it was written purely for kids. In fact, I reread it often and take away more messages each time.

The life lessons taught in “The Little Prince” are immense. I recently was reading the book “One Child” by Torey Haden and was shocked to find elements of Saint-Exupéry’s story in it. There was even an excerpt from the book because the life lesson tied in was so great. You learn about love and laughter, compassion and companionship. This book is a must-read.

One part of the book that sticks out to me is the piece with the rose. The little prince cares as best as he can for this very demanding rose. But he learns a bigger lesson than the few things he did to take care of her. He learns: “It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.” I can’t help but apply that same concept to various parts of my life, especially when I feel like I’ve lost something I cared about.

The little prince offers a refreshing perspective to this pilot who has adapted to the adult-world and rules. But from their first encounter when the little prince demands that the pilot draw him a sheep, you can tell that things are going to turn out differently than anticipated in this tale. Sometimes I look up at the sky and I wonder if the little prince is out there with his sheep on his planet. I like doing this every so often because it opens up my imagination and shows me a new way of seeing things. “Look at the sky. Ask yourself: Has the sheep eaten the flower, yes or no? And you will see how everything changes.”

There are some great quotes in “The Little Prince.” Anyone who knows me can always expect a inspiring, motivational or all-around great quote. This story is chock-full of them. My favorite quote has to be: “You - you alone will have the stars as no one else has them...In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night...You - only you - will have stars that can laugh.”

“The Little Prince” is easy to read because you can pick it up and put it down as needed. Sometimes my schedule gets chaotic so it’s nice having a book that is deep yet able to be put on a shelf for a few weeks if I don’t have time to get around to it. The reading level isn’t hard at all so if you know or are learning another language, then you might consider reading it in that language. Currently, I am working on reading the original french version.

No matter how old you are, “The Little Prince” is a great story to read. You can read it to yourself or share it with your kids. It’s a wonderful way to bond through reading. You can even talk about it with friends and family who’ve read it. Plus, it’s awesome to casually slip in a reference to the story and see who catches it.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s children’s book “The Little Prince” is a must-read if you haven’t already. What is your favorite part? When did you first read it?