The return of 'The Little Prince'

Are you one of those admirers of the world's classic novel The Little Prince? For decades, this famous French novel about a little boy from a tiny star has cast its spell with its well-thought philosophy on young readers worldwide, in a variety of languages.

This time round, a Thai publisher, Gamme Magie Editions, has come up with a new version of Le Petit Prince, in the form of a Thai-translation cartoon, the first of its kind in Thailand.

Many Thais may have read Le Petit Prince's previous edition that was translated by Amphan Otrakul. Yet in the new cartoon version, its distinct graphic illustrations combined with the enchanting storyline guarantees a revolution in the comic world.

Le Petit Prince is one of the most famous French novels of all time. Its success lies in the story-telling that appears simple and naive but laced with a deep philosophy of life. The novel has so far been translated into more than 160 languages, with over 80 million copies, and is also one of the 100 best books of the 20th century.

Despite being considered a children's novel, the book is enjoyed by readers of all ages. For young readers, they are amused by the exciting journey of the Little Prince; for adults, the themes of friendship and altruistic love is captivating and memorable.

'Le Petit Prince' in cartoon version

Based on the world-renowned novel written in 1943 by Antoine de Saint Exupery, the book was recreated in 2008 in the form of a French graphic novel by Joann Sfar, a young-blood French comic artist who did his impressive graphic illustration for the book Chat du Rabbin.

Sfar was asked by descendants of Le Petit Prince's author to help redepict the novel in cartoons, which also received warm welcome from the novel's fans.

Spotting the phenomenon, Gamme Magie Editions has finally been granted the copyright from the French publisher, Gallimard.

This Thai cartoon version of Le Petit Prince is not an ordinary one. The translator, Aticha Munchunakorn Gabulon, said she became interested in the classic novel while she was living in Paris in 2007 after having read it 20 years ago while she was still in school, but didn't deeply appreciate the novel. Wondering why so many people are so much into it, she read the novel again, and thought "how did I miss it at that time?" She said when a grown-up reads the book, the simple quotes which they didn't appreciate when they were younger become more defined.

Also, for this cartoon version, another distinct feature that differs from the original one is the graphic images. The colourful and fanciful illustrations attract children's attention.

Sfar, as the comic illustrator, used his own childhood as an influence to successfully portray the sentiments of the book as his own mother passed away when he was just a little boy. His uncle, who took care of him, never told him clearly where his mum had gone. What he only knew from his uncle was that his mum was on a star. So whenever he looks up at the sky, he always thinks of his mum.

In this cartoon version, the story of Le Petit Prince is retold through the eyes of the modern artist with his unique and unfamiliar drawings.

Despite a change in the image of the Little Prince as portrayed in this new edition from what we are used to, the content generally is not much altered, except for the fact that it has become easier to comprehend.

The books are available in two versions - the soft cover and the limited hard cover edition with serial numbers for book collectors.

Thoughts from the translator

"As it is based on the best-known novel of all time, I believe this cartoon version of Le Petit Prince will encourage young readers to become more interested in picking up the reading habit as kids may not prefer long reading material. Starting with this novel, we hope it will be a gateway leading children to many other good books,'' said Ms Aticha.

She noted that even though the book is full of images, a child's creativity will not be blocked.

''The picture presentation is not restricted and, hence, will enhance kids' imagination.''

She said Joann Sfar, the illustrator, was on a great mission when working on this novel.

''He had to interpret the written novel and transform it into his own pictures, which of course, is different from people's imagination. The drawings reflect Sfar's style and his true self, while I, as a translator, tried to maintain the feeling and expression of the novel to keep it as much in line with his drawings,'' said Ms Aticha.

Why is 'Le Petit Prince' recommended for children?

Patrawadee Timtong, a mother and a psychologist, commented that Le Petit Prince is ''a book of wisdom and philosophy'' concerning relationships and friendship, both among humans and between humans and other living things.

''It teaches us not to judge others based on what they look like but how they are from the inside,'' said Ms Patrawadee, at the launch of the Thai cartoon edition of the novel on July 3.

She said Le Petit Prince is a passionate and creative novel, which is highly recommended for both children and adults. The relationship between the fox and the Little Prince, for example, can potentially be an inspiration for those who have not yet found the true meaning of friendship.

Besides, as the Little Prince usually gets confused in the absurdity of adults, it also reflects a child's perpectives towards an adult's behaviour.

The cartoon edition which offers fine and colourful illustrations will not only capture children's attention, it will also help them to further develop their artistic skills in drawing and painting.

Chiranan Pitpreecha, famous poet, writer, and SEA Write Award winner, is another fan of the original translated version of Le Petit Prince by Amphan Otrakul. Despite her fa miliarity with the previous edition, she is also in favour of the new colourful cartoon illustrations.

''When I was young, I enjoyed reading the novel although the interpretation was not quite lucid in my head. On the contrary, with the innocent depictions in this cartoon edition, readers gain a clear perspective of what the story tries to convey,'' she said. One picture speaks a thousand words, indeed.

In addition, she also commented that Le Petit Prince is a novel which asks readers questions _ ones that are neither controversial nor offensive. She added it is a revolution which possibly poses positive impacts for our society as a whole.

 

 

 

 

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