The most translated non-religious book in the world expands on its tradition of giving through new charitable activities, merchandise, and special events!

Las Vegas, NV (April 2, 2018) – The Little Prince marks its 75th anniversary this week.  Licensing Works!® is pleased to offer an extensive collection of new licensed products to delight fans across North America and around the world in support of a charitable campaign, Anniversary special events and publicity. The Little Prince line of items includes a collection of graphic bag accessories, a 75th Anniversary edition of the novel, environmentally-friendly baby products and much more.
There are over 150 licensees worldwide offering more than 10,000 products for fans of The Little Prince to keep the story and key messages top-of-mind during the anniversary milestone. Efforts are anchored in North America by long-time master publishing partner Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, offering a new 75th Anniversary Edition of the classic novel expanded to include collector’s cover and history of the story.
Fashion accessory leader LeSportsac has created a Spring ’18 collection of backpacks, baby, cosmetic and crossbody bags themed to the 75th Anniversary. At retailers worldwide and LeSportsac.com, the line is available in three new patterns: Travel Guide, Extraordinary Planet, and Eternal Things, along with several signature graphic designs. The program is supported with window merchandising, influencer seeding, and digital efforts.
For the first time, The Little Prince will be featured on a full-range of infant and toddler products. Leading the way is Little Unicorn with a new range of swaddles and quilts featuring their signature watercolor take on iconic images from The Little Prince story. Offerings also include a soft-book and fabric line from Riley Blake and infant apparel, sleepwear, and gifts coming soon from Finn and Emma.
New gift and novelty items will also be available to support the 75th Anniversary including a Light-up Rose Mini-kit from Running Press and The Little Prince Nook Tablet Cover, available exclusively at Barnes and Noble from Out of Print. Additional offerings include men’s and women’s socks from Socksmith, a 2019 calendar from Rizzoli’s Universe imprint, boxed gift mugs, bookmarks and prints from Culturenik, an encyclopedia from Cernunnos (distributed by Random House), and music boxes and gifts from Trousselier.
The collection also includes a number of products specifically “Made in the USA” – a nod to the fact that the book was actually written in New York City. Among them are:earrings and necklaces from Vinca, infant caps and baby blankets from Storiarts, t-shirts, scarves and posters from Litographs, inspirational shower clings from Dezign Your Mind, laser-cut wood décor from G. Arts Design, and a full range of lift-and-place wall graphics from Walls360.
Pioneering aviator, best-selling writer, and humanist Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote The Little Prince in 1943. The story is inspired by Saint-Exupéry’s own experience of being a pilot stranded in the Sahara Desert in the 1930s after a long-distance race. He originally wrote the book for young children, but it resonated with readers of all ages through its messages of respect for humanity, friendship, authenticity, and charity. To date, the book has sold over 200 million copies and has reached more than 500 million readers around the world.
A true cultural phenomenon, millions of fans are also experiencing The Little Prince in ways the author could have only imagined; with visits to the theme park in France, the museum in Japan, the flagship store in Paris and even on the International Space Station. The Little Prince movie has been seen by 32 million viewers in theaters and 30 million on Netflix. A robust social media presence is driven by more than 10 million Facebook followers and 4 million views on its official YouTube channel.
“It’s incredible to see how many people adore The Little Prince and we are thrilled to be working with Licensing Works!® to give fans opportunities to celebrate and participate in the Anniversary!” said Thomas Riviere, General Manager, SOGEX, an arm of the estate of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
True to the essence of The Little Prince, the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation (www.fasej.org) was established in 2009 to continue the author’s altruistic spirit. In the US, the Foundation’s efforts provide access to art and education for visually-impaired children. Every licensee is engaged in giving back; through their contributions to charity in the name of The Little Prince or a percentage of proceeds from the sale of licensed merchandise.
Fans of the story can continue the good works inspired by The Little Prince on social media as well. As part of the diamond jubilee, people can participate in the anniversary celebration and send a “Happy Anniversary” message by posting their favorite quote from the book or a photo inspired by The Little Prince to social media platforms from April 2 to April 15th with #TheLittlePrince75. For each post, the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation will make a donation to a new scholarship in the name of The Little Prince to help blind American students pursue their academic goals and achieve their dreams.
The Little Prince also celebrates its 75th Anniversary with remarkable event partners such as The Morgan Library & Museum in NYC (www.themorgan.org), which will host a special exhibition of newly discovered drawings by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. A special screening of The Little Prince animated movie will also take place there on June 3, hosted by the film’s director and Foundation’s Goodwill Ambassador in the US, Mark Osborne. Throughout 2018, guests of Sofitel Hotels can enjoy special offers themed to The Little Prince through the chain’s “Magnifique Family” program (www/sofitelhotels.com).