When a pilot crash-lands his plane in the Sahara, he meets a charming young prince who’s fallen to earth from his tiny home planet, Asteroid B-612. This timeless tale is whimsical and wise, with just the right amount of absurdity. The watercolor illustrations spring to life in this gorgeous pop-up edition.

I asked my husband to choose a book for this category. I expected him to recommend a book about technology or business or maybe mountaineering, but he surprised me with this lesser-known classic by the author of The Little Prince. After some quick googling I couldn't be happier with his choice: National Geographic ranked this third on its list of the 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time, saying "this remarkable classic attains its high ranking here by soaring both as a piece of writing and as a tale of adventure."