In Search of the Little Prince
by Bimba Landmann (Author, Illustrator)
Booktalk: As a child, Antoine dreamed of flying. His dream was realized when he became a pilot, first serving France during World War I, then working as an international mail courier. As he wrote letters to his family describing the foreign countries he visited, he soon discovered that writing contained its own sense of adventure. His stories showed a childlike fascination with the world, culminating with The Little Prince, one of the best-selling books ever published.
This picture book biography begins on the endpapers with photographs of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and his family as a child and an adult. There is also a quote from his writings (shared below).
Snippet:
At Saint-Maurice I have a huge trunk. I’ve been filling it, ever since I was 7 years old, with my plans . . . with the letters I receive, with my photos. With all I love, think about, and want to remember. At times I spread them out haphazardly on the floor. As I look down, I am reminded of all these things once again. Nothing but that trunk is of importance to me. –Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Six Traits Mini Lesson
Trait: Ideas Whenever I visit a school, the first question that the students ask me, “Where do you get your ideas?” I have been asked this question so many times that I included the answer in the bio on my webpage!
What I love about the quote that begins this biography is his age. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry began writing as a child.
At Saint-Maurice I have a huge trunk. I’ve been filling it, ever since I was 7 years old
And what did he place into that trunk?
I’ve been filling it, ever since I was 7 years old, with my plans . . . with the letters I receive, with my photos. With all I love, think about, and want to remember.
All of that inspiration is saved, it is stored.. but it is not forgotten.
At times I spread them out haphazardly on the floor. As I look down, I am reminded of all these things once again.
And so the book begins with its own mini lesson on the trait of ideas. There is even a painting of the huge trunk with letters spilling out. This picture book biography is two stories in one. Readers will learn about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s life and the creative process.
It’s Nonfiction Monday!
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