When they hear the name Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, most people think of his book The Little Prince. I read it in Grade 13 French with Monsieur Esders. My favorite Saint Ex novel has always been Pilote de Guerre , translated as Flight to Arras).
I have to admit, and I don’t say this to be pretentious, but I prefer to read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in French. Pilote de Guerre is memoir of his time as the pilot of a reconnaissance plane during the Battle of France in 1940, and condenses months of flights into a single mission over the town of Arras. Although it is about events, it is a reflection on war that was written, in part, to encourage the Americans to enter the war. The Little Prince was published a year after Pilote de Guerre.
This year, Peter Sís has written an excellent picture book biography of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
The Pilot and the Little Prince connects Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s birth in 1900 to the sense of adventure and unlimited potential that the new century brought. Fascinated by planes a little boy, he became one of the first pilots to fly mail, creating new routes in far away places. He even crashed in the desert, an event that became the inspiration for the story of The Little Prince. It covers his time in America as well as his role fighting for France. And it ends with his disappearance. The story os good, but it is Sís’ illustrations that capture the energy and imagination of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
A picture book well worth picking up. I hope it will fuel your imagination.
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