In 1943, amid the turmoil of World War II, a small, strange, and deeply poetic book appeared in New York…
Its author was the French aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who had fled Nazi-occupied France and found temporary refuge in America. The book was Le Petit Prince – The Little Prince – and though it was written in French, its first publication was actually in English and French editions in New York.
Eighty years later, Le Petit Prince remains one of the most beloved books in the world.
Translated into more than 500 languages and dialects, it is a literary phenomenon that transcends borders, generations, and ideologies. But what’s less commonly known is that this quintessentially French story has profound roots in the United States, and particularly in the relationship between France and America.
Saint-Exupéry began writing Le Petit Prince during his time in New York City and Long Island, where he lived between 1940 and 1943. During his exile, he developed close friendships with members of the French expatriate community as well as with American writers and intellectuals. He was also grappling with feelings of loss – loss of his country, of innocence, and of hope in a world consumed by war.
It was in this context that he created the Little Prince: a golden-haired traveler from another planet who teaches the narrator (and the reader) about love, friendship, responsibility, and the beauty of seeing with the heart rather than the eyes. The book is often considered a children’s story, but it carries philosophical reflections that resonate as much with adults as with younger readers.
Because Le Petit Prince was first published in New York by the American publisher Reynal & Hitchcock, the book’s literary history is tied to both France and America. Its original drawings – those iconic, simple watercolors of baobab trees, roses, and desert landscapes – were created by Saint-Exupéry himself while living on Beekman Place in Manhattan.
After Saint-Exupéry’s disappearance during a reconnaissance flight in 1944, Le Petit Prince became an enduring symbol of his legacy, embraced by readers on both sides of the Atlantic. In France, the book is a national treasure. In the United States, it holds a special place in the cultural exchange between the two nations – a French masterpiece with an American birthplace.
At its heart, Le Petit Prince speaks to universal human experiences: longing for connection, confronting loss, and finding meaning in small, everyday moments. Its messages are perhaps even more relevant today, in a world still reckoning with conflict, climate change, and cultural division.
As we celebrate the book’s 80th anniversary in 2026, it’s worth remembering that Le Petit Prince is not just a French literary gem – it’s also a testament to cross-cultural dialogue. The book was conceived in exile, published in the U.S., and later returned to France as a symbol of resilience and shared humanity.
Anniversaries of Le Petit Prince are often marked by reprints, exhibitions, and tributes around the world. For its 80th anniversary, a special illustrated interactive edition will be released in Spring 2026. In both France and the United States, the book continues to inspire readers, artists, educators, and philosophers.
Whether you first encountered The Little Prince in a French classroom, an American bookstore, or a dusty corner of your childhood library, the experience is nearly universal: you meet a small boy from a distant planet who asks you to look at the world a little differently.
"One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes."
Eighty years later, we’re still learning how to do just that.