SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

July 19, 2011 by Esther Keller

Review: The Little Prince

July 19, 2011 by Esther Keller   Leave a Comment

I have a confession to make.  Until this week, I had never read the Little Prince.  I know it seems sacrilege for a librarian to admit she never read a classic, but the title never interested me as a child and as an adult I could never be bothered, until I agreed to review the adapted graphic novel version.  After reading the first few pages, I knew I had to go back to the original to review this title with justice.

The Little Prince
Antoine De Saint-Exupery, Illustrated by Joann Sfar
Ages 7 and up
Houghton Mifflin, 2010, 978-0-547-33802-6
$19.99, 110 pp.

The lowdown:
Man crashes his plane in the middle of the desert.  He’s all alone until a little boy, later referred to as The Little Prince, asks the pilot to draw him a sheep. The two form an unusual bond, as the Little Prince, who’s from a small planet, Asteroid B-612, explains how he came to planet Earth: It was because of a prideful flower that the Little Prince watched and nurtured.  But when the flower became too prideful, he decided to leave it, though he loved the flower very much.He goes from planet to planet, meeting various people, until he gets to planet Earth. On Earth he meets a fox who teaches him about love and friendship.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

I see why The Little Prince is a Language Arts teacher’s field day. I didn’t want to tax my brain too much, and this blog isn’t about ripping apart literature but reviewing good comics. There are layers to this story and lessons to be told.  Frankly, it’s not all that interesting of a story, and I’m not sure why the story is such a hit. As my colleague told me, when I was looking for a copy of the original version to read, The Little Prince is “weird.”

But the adaptation is a treasure. As far as the storytelling goes, Sfar captures the tone, the cadence, and the essence of the original story. I cannot imagine a better adaptation. The artwork stays true to the original work, too. Just as the original story is “weird,” Sfar gives the artwork that weird feel too. (Though I don’t think Saint-Exupery was trying for the weird, while I believe Sfar was quite deliberate.)  The artwork is also signature Sfar. It’s easy to recognize the artwork and attribute it to Sfar if you’ve ever seen his work before.

The comic adaptation is a lot more engaging than the original work. In my opinion, skip the original and go straight for the comic. You won’t be missing much.

This review is based on a complimentary copy supplied by the publisher. All images copyright © Houghton Mifflin.

Filed under: Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
graphic novelreview

About Esther Keller

Esther Keller is the librarian at JHS 278, Marine Park in Brooklyn, NY. There she started the library's first graphic novel collection and strongly advocated for using comics in the classroom. She also curates the Graphic Novel collection for the NYC DOE Citywide Digital Library. She started her career at the Brooklyn Public Library and later jumped ship to the school system so she could have summer vacation and a job that would align with a growing family's schedule. On the side, she is a mother of 4 and regularly reviews for SLJ and School Library Connection (formerly LMC). In her past life, she served on the Great Graphic Novels for Teens Committee where she solidified her love and dedication to comics.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

March 2023

Review: Victory! Stand!

by Esther Keller

March 2023

Nayra and the Djinn | Review

by Esther Keller

March 2023

Walt Disney's Donald Duck: Donald's Happiest Adventures | Review

by Esther Keller

February 2023

Insomniacs After School, vol. 1 | Review

by Esther Keller

February 2023

Review: A Visit to Moscow

by Esther Keller

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Strega Nona Stamps Are Coming

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Creating a Collective Black Ancestry: Researcher Kimberly Annece Henderson Discusses Dear Yesteryear

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Review: Victory! Stand!

by Esther Keller

Heavy Medal

March suggestions: early Mock Newbery possibilities

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Book Review: Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave with illustrations by Tom de Freston

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Newbery Medalist Amina Luqman-Dawson visits The Yarn

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Graphic Novels for Cat Lovers

Summer Camp and Beyond: 24 Middle Grade Graphic Novels | Summer Reading 2021

10 YA Graphic Novels About the LGBTQIA+ experience | Stellar Panels

Seven Titles with Censorship Themes

Manga, An All-Ages Starter List | Mondo Manga

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023