The Little Prince (by Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

Gradually the Little Prince reveals his story. He comes from a small asteroid, where he lives alone until a rose grows there. But the rose is demanding, and he is confused by his feelings about her. Eventually he decides to leave, and journey to other planets in search of knowledge. After meeting many confusing adults, he eventually lands on Earth, where he befriends a snake and a fox. The fox helps him to understand the rose, and the snake offers to help him return to his planet -- but at a price.

This most beautiful and thoughtful of children's classics really isn't for kids. It looks like a picture book, with its size, brevity, and the author's delicate watercolors, but its thoughtfulness and nostalgia for childhood appeal more to teens and adults. Nevertheless, curled up with the right adult, kids with the patience can find their introduction to its kindly philosophy one of their most vivid moments in childhood.

It was originally translated from the French by Katherine Woods. In Harcourt's updated edition, the art is marginally brighter, but the new translation adds nothing and takes away all the poetry of the original. It's much like comparing the King James with modern translations of the Bible: The differences are minor (more contractions, simpler words, changed order), but they destroy the rhythm and sap the beauty of the language. The older translation is still available in used bookstores and online.