Beauty and the Beast

Thank you Angela Barrett, for reminding me why you are one of my favorite children's illustrators of all time. With delicate figures, moody scenery, exquisite detail, striking composition, and a muted though rich palette of colors, this may well be the quintessential picture book version of "Beauty and the Beast." Seriously, there aren't enough adjectives in the world to describe how good this lady is. Max Eilenberg provides the narrative, basing it on the traditional French fairytale "Le Belle et le Bette" by Charles Perrault, concerning a merchant with three daughters who looses his fortune, takes a forbidden rose from a magical garden, and finds himself forced to give up his youngest daughter Beauty to the terrible Beast in repayment for his theft. Beauty agrees to dwell in the Beast's magnificent castle, and even comes to enjoy his company despite his hideous visage, but is troubled by his marriage proposals every night: she does not love him, and her constant denials are a source of constant pain to the Beast. When she begs to return home to see her father, the Beast gives her permission to go - provided she keeps her promise to return within the week. Of course, you already know how it ends, but Eilenburg manages to keep the story fresh and gives the story a few little personal touches. Beauty's family name is "Fortune" and her father Mr Fortune loves to show pictures of his daughters to anyone who cares to listen (and some who don't!) Beauty's sisters Hermione and Gertrude are nasty pieces of work in this particular version, begging Beauty to delay her departure in the hopes that she'll be eaten by the Beast on her return. Yikes! He uses elegant but thankfully simple prose, not excessive describing everything, but allowing Barrett to speak with her pictures. Another innovation (though I've seen it done elsewhere, as in Cameron Dokey's Belle) is to set the story in the nineteenth century, when "money, convention and appearance meant perhaps even more than they do now." But of course it's Angela Barrett's romantic and ornate illustrations that make this particular retelling so magical. Barrett takes us from the brightness and clutter of the Fortunes' original home, to the sparseness and darkness of their little cottage, and finally to the gorgeous castle where the Beast resides. The dining room for example, is hung with tapestries of a dark forest, parted at intervals to reveal windows and the stars outside, and the vast floor is covered with candlesticks hewn in the shapes of strange mystical creatures. Behind the walls, we can see the Beast watching Beauty and her father through a peephole. Later, Beauty goes exploring the gardens, finding hedge mazes, boat houses, pagodas, orchards and fountains, all so large in scope and size that Beauty seems miniscule by comparison, as does the Beast, whose figure can be seen watching her from afar. As for our leads, Beauty has kindness and intelligent in her pretty face, and the Beast is trul

The illustrations in this book are truly breathtaking, and represent a wonderful new take on a story that could easily have been trapped in the realm of Disney look-a-likes.

I cannot rave enough about this retelling. It's a longer, slightly sinister picture book made for older readers. The text is witty and heartbreaking, but the illustrations are the real standout. They're gorgeous and minutely detailed in their depiction of luxury, nature, fear, joy, and despair. This Beast is beautiful, terrifying, and wolfish, and the spread of Beauty weeping over his body in the snow is breathtaking. I love it all.

I just adore this book. I took one look at the cover and just fell in love. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and the storytelling is great. I'm 21 years old, but after flipping through this book for a couple second, i knew i had to have it! I make everyone I know read it hehehe

THis book is nothing short of spectacular. I read it to my nine year old (who's well into reading her own novels by now) and we both were moved to tears -- not a regular occurence in this household. Max Eilenberg's retelling of the classic tale is dark and emotional and very moving, and Angela Barrett's illustrations are nothing short of breathtaking. Can't recommend this highly enough for 6-10s. So different from all the jazzy tongue in cheek 'aren't we cool' books out there. This is the real thing.