Beauty and the Beast

Originally published in 1978, and then reprinted in 2000, this gorgeous picture-book has always been one of my favorite adaptations of Beauty and the Beast, itself one of my favorite fairy-tales. Sticking to the basic outline set out in Mme Le Prince de Beaumont's original version - the wealthy merchant with three daughters and three sons, the loss of wealth and family removal to the country, the night-time journey that brings the merchant to the Beast's palace, the plucking of the rose and consequent choice, Beauty's sacrifice, and her subsequent life with the Beast - Marianna Mayer also adds some significant dream sequences (a not so uncommon choice for adapters of this tale, I've discovered) in which Beauty falls in love with a show more handsome prince who seems oddly familiar.

The result is an engaging narrative that feels fresh, while remaining true to its (unnamed) source material. Of course, as appealing as the text may be, the artwork is even more delightful - an almost perfect embodiment of the story and characters (the only version I have ever seen, that I have preferred visually, is the adaptation retold by Max Eilenberg and illustrated by Angela Barrett). I love Mercer Mayer's fairy-tale artwork, which always reminds me of the work of Trina Schart Hyman, and which never fails to move me, with its exquisite use of color and light, and its deft depiction of its characters' many varied expressions. This Beauty and the Beast is a picture-book classic, and is recommended to any reader who loves fairy-tales, or appreciates beautiful artwork! show less

Honestly, I had never watched or read the full story of beauty and the beast before this. I had heard of the beast and the magical rose in the glass case and the ball of living happily ever after. But never had I understood the underlying plot of struggle and sacrifices and bravery that is represented throughout. I loved that this book truly taught beauty is in the eye of the bolder and inside personality, beauty conquers all. This book transformed me into a movie of plot and character development. As I learned the story of the selfishness of Beauty for her dad and how the rose was more symbolic then love itself I was captivated by this book. The story of him stealing and beauty going back to the palace for her father was amazing show more additions to what I once thought of this "cliche' " book became so much more. I loved that she had dreams of this "godmother" that told her to stop looking so far for true love; that it may be hidden right in front of her face. Once she helped the beast become more friendly to her and love her it was wonderful. The details of the dream spot being where the beast begins to die while beauty is off healing her dad is so powerful to touch my emotions and make me chant on for true love. Reading fairytales brings me back to my innocent childhood of hopes and dreams and brightens my day, reading these made me realize you do not need to be young for a little spark of magic or happiness. show less

I am a tremendous fan of Mercer Mayer’s art and nowhere are its organic lines, seasonal palette, and rich expressiveness more aptly applied than in Marianna Mayer’s retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Not only does Marianna’s prose flow, but she adds greater economic or social context to both the merchant’s family (ex., the merchant has loyal sons as well as daughters), and Beauty’s agreeable disposition (ex., Beauty recognizes that one’s loyalty is to the family because wealth and social status are ultimately transient. Together the Mayers subtly transform a standard fairytale into a story that easily maintains the reader’s attention. Mercer’s art alone can successfully tell the story, but Marianna’s narrative adds show more weight to the tale without altering its core themes and imagery. The only thing that changes is the loss of brevity typical of fairytales. A short story or brief narrative often enhances the folkloric and oral character of familiar stories like Beauty and the Beast. The book can be enjoyed by children age five and up. show less

I was shocked when I opened this book to see how familiar the illustrations were, even though I am sure that I have never seen them before. Instead my memory is remembering the artistic style of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which clearly draws inspiration from Mayer's illustrations. The qulity of line is unique enough to be instantly recognizable, especially in his depictions of roses and architecture (which are highly stylized rather than realistic). The trees and scenery also evoke the same wild and enchanting tone as the film, even though Disney went in a very different direction when illustrating the cast of characters. The only character similarity that I could see is between the human form of the Beast/Prince, and even then show more Disney chose to blend some of Mayer's ideas with their own character stylings to make the characters more cohesive throughout the film. show less

This picture book for children reading at about the fifth grade level is one of the most beautiful and well-written I've ever come across. The text, by Marianna Meyer, is well-written and evocative, and the illustrations, by Mercer Mayer, are stupendous. Mercer Mayer uses a combination of watercolor and pen and ink to achieve some of the best illustrations I've ever seen in a children's book. This is a treasure.

This book is so extremely different from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. I was surprised to see some stuff was the same, but many of the things were very different. I personally did not like it just because I am a Disney girl and rather that version. However, I was glad to see that this was a happy ending similar to Disney. The text on each page was a bit lengthy and there were few pictures, so I do think it would be better for higher grade levels. I think I would definitely read this to my students to diversify their thoughts about fairytales and folklore.

"Beauty and the Beast" by Marianna Mayer has to be my favorite children's book yet. The book starts with a wealthy merchant with three daughters and three son. One day a storm comes and destroys all the merchants ships and cargo. The merchant and his family would be poor now, but then he finds out that his ships have been found and might be in good shape, so he rides off to find them. On his way back from finding his ships and cargo the merchant loses his way and stumbles on to a large mansion. The merchant cold and hungry goes into the mansion looking for food and shelter. The merchant spends the night at the mansion and awakes to breakfast. He begins to eat and then wonders around the mansion to find his gracious host, so he can thank show more him for his hospitality. The merchant then finds a rose garden. Destined to bring his daughter, Beauty , a rose he cuts a rose from the garden and is then cornered by the owner of the mansion, a huge beast. The beast then tells the merchant that his daughter must come live with him or he will kill the merchant. Beauty spends her days with the beast and begins to fall in love with him. The theme of the book is a good moral to teach to children of all ages. The theme of the story is just what the old fairy told to beauty in a dream, " I hoped you would know that happiness comes from seeing what does not always lie on the surface. Some things are not on the surface at all"(p.27). The moral of the story is beauty is not always just on the outside. The story can be read at a 3rd grade level, but can be enjoyed by all ages. show less