Le Petit Prince, Rare French Hardcover Original Edition, The Little Prince Children's Book

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in original French. This rare hardcover in original dust jacket was published by Harcourt Brace & World, it's the original edition copyright 1943 but a later printing from around 1960. The early editions in French are more rare than the copies in English

The true first edition was published by Reynal & Hitchcock in 1943. An original copy in dust jacket of the Reynard & Hitchcock edition are listed between $3,000-$5,000.

The Little Prince (French: Le Petit Prince is a novella by French aristocrat, writer, and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the US by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943, and posthumously in France following the liberation of France as Saint-Exupéry's works had been banned by the Vichy Regime. The story follows a young prince who visits various planets in space, including Earth, and addresses themes of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. Despite its style as a children's book, The Little Prince makes poignant observations about life and human nature.

The Little Prince became Saint-Exupéry's most successful work, selling an estimated 140 million copies worldwide, which makes it one of the best-selling and most translated books ever published. It has been translated into 361 languages and dialects. The Little Prince has been adapted to numerous art forms and media, including audio recordings, radio plays, live stage, film, television, ballet, and opera.

B I B L I O G R A P H I C D E T A I L S
Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., New York
Hardcover, 93 pages
Printed in USA
Copyright 1943 original edition, printed in 1960 approximately.
Measures 9"H x 7"W
Bound in publisher's tan cloth stamped in brown/maroon with dust jacket.

More information about collector editions can be found here:
https://petit-prince-collection.com/lang/original_show.php?lang=en&id=1150#

C O N D I T I O N
Book is in good used vintage condition, the actual hardcover looks great and its pages are clean, clear and bright, no writing or foxing, just a gift inscription from 1966 on the inside front page.

The dust jacket shows wear— it's discolored/tanned from the sun and age and there are a few small tears on the front/back cover and the spine which also has some chipping along the top into the front cover, some shelf and edge wear, the inside sleeve is price clipped.

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