Beauty & the Beast

by Mordicai Gerstein

Through her great capacity to love, a kind and beautiful maid releases a handsome prince from the spell which has made him an ugly beast.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Audiobook, Beauty and The Beast

1 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 1989

About the author

Mordicai Gerstein was an American artist, writer, and film director, best known for illustrating and writing children's books. He illustrated the comic mystery fiction series Something Queer is Going On.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caldecott Medal-winner Mordicai Gerstein - whose The Man Who Walked Between the Towers was awarded this important American illustrator's award in 2004 - turns his attention to the classic French fairy-tale of Beauty and the Beast in this picture-book, apparently also available in an animated version narrated by Mia Farrow. The story here includes all the major elements that fans of the tale would expect - the merchant and his three daughters (Beauty's two sisters are here named Edwina and Sybill), the night-time journey that ends with a stay at the Beast's palace and the picking of the rose, Beauty's sacrifice of herself, in order to save her father, and her life with the Beast - although some episodes, such as the one in which Beauty dreams she is riding on the back of a wolf, have been embroidered.

The result is an engaging picture-book that, for all its minor variations, is fairly faithful to the original. The artwork is expressively idiosyncratic, with the Beast depicted as a kind of tusked boar. Although I wouldn't say that the aesthetic style is a personal favorite, I did really appreciate the fact that the pages are multi-colored - that is to say, each page is a different color: blue, orange, green, purplish - as the overall effect reminded me of Baum's The Road to Oz , the original 1909 edition of which had a similar design. All in all, an interesting version of a favorite story, one that fairy-tale lovers, and fans of the artist, will enjoy perusing.

[Laura K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this version of the story. It seems a bit gentler, and the illustrations are gorgeous and rich.

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK version which follows pretty close to the classic story. I do like that the 'happily ever after' page gives a little more detail of what happened during the ever after.

The illustrations are pen drawings with color wash. The dress looks kind of Renaissance-ish. Beast has the legs & feet of a giant bird, long monkey-like tail, face and tusks of a wild boar or warthog and the curling horns of a ram.

I also own the video version of this, narrated by Mia Farrow.

purchased in 1989

[Victoria Pring · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet, lyrical retelling of beauty and the beast. Though it is very short it manages to provide a beautiful rendition of the story within its pages. This story is very similar to Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's 1740's Beauty and the Beast, ||the Merchant having lost all his wealth stumbles upon the home of the beast, he is warmed and cared for but then before he leaves attempts to steal a rose for his daughter. The beast threatens him with imprisonment but says he can go free if one of his daughters will willingly take his place as prisoner. Beauty ofcourse ends up at the castle and she gets to know the beast, she refuses his many requests of marriage she is given dreams to help her along, she leaves to check on her family, promising to come back using the ring he gave her, she fails to come back in the promised time and ends up only just managing to make it back before he dies, she agrees to marry him and he becomes a hansome prince||. || The only notable addition in this version was the fact that her siblings were far worse and got turned to stone at the end. ||This is a really nice yet basic retelling of beauty and the beast. Though not the most creative retelling out there it is certainly beautifully written and easy to read, I would reccomend.

[Alyssa Garrison]

Fairytale:

I'm not sure if this is THE original tale of Beauty and the Beast but it has some differences than the Disney tale we are all familiar with. Beauty and the Beast like many other fairytales also has the message that its whats inside that counts, not outward appearance. The beast may have been hideous but he learned to have a good heart which in the end was all that mattered and then after love in spite of ugliness, the beast became a handsome prince. This story is fun for all ages; however, I'm not sure this very old version is the best one for young kids.