Author's Style & Language

Because at one level, the novel is really a children's book, its language and style are simple. Because the plot and dialogue are easy to follow, a young person will find the book easy to understand. A child can also hear or read about the adventures of the blond-haired Little Prince and enjoy its meaning at an uncomplicated level. Beneath the simplicity, however, there is a sophisticated tale that deals with the important lessons of life. Just as the Little Prince finds answers to his questions, the reader also learns the answers to what is most important in everyday existence.

Study Questions and Book Report Ideas

1. Fully describe the appearance of the Little Prince.

2. From where does the Little Prince come? What is it like?

3. The Little Prince is both child-like and mature. Explain the contrast and how it is shown in the book.

4. Why does the Little Prince think his special flower is unique?

5. Why does the Little Prince leave his planet?

6. What five people does the Little Prince meet on his travels before he arrives on Earth? What does he learn from each of them?

7. What is the first creature that the Little Prince meets on earth? What does it tell the Little Prince? Why does this become important later in the book?

8. What does the Little Prince realize when he sees the Garden of Roses? How does he feel about this?

9. What does the Fox teach the Little Prince?

10. Where does the Little Prince meet the narrator?

11. What is the first thing that the Little Prince asks the narrator to do?

12. Why does the narrator draw a picture of a boa constrictor eating an elephant for the Little Prince? How is the Prince’s reaction to the drawing different from that of most adults?

13. Why is the water drawn from the desert well more than ordinary water?

14. In what ways is the Little Prince a Christ figure?

15. When and why does the narrator write the book about the Little Prince?

16. What is the main theme of the book and how is it developed?

17. What are the common traits in the narrator and the Prince? What do you think brings them together?

18. Why does the Little Prince decide to go back to his planet?

19. Why do you think the Little Prince tells the narrator to think about the stars as laughing?

20. Even though the Little Prince dies at the end of the book, the story is a comedy? Explain why.