Beauty and the Beast book cover
Hi Friends! Here is my Perfect Picture Book Friday! So glad to see you all here today. Grab your cocoa and let’s read.
Perfect Picture Book Friday
Title: Beauty and The Beast
Author/ Illustrator: Retold and illustrated by Jan Brett
Themes: Retelling a fairy tale, fairy tale , relationships,
Publishing info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group Inc.
Resources: A leader, parent or teacher could start a discussion of whether beauty or other qualities such as kindness or a good mind was more important in marriage or any relationship.
What the Jacket says: The story of Beauty and the Beast has been a classic fairy tale for centuries, as popular today as it was long ago. Jan Brett offers a romantic and mysterious view of the struggles between Beauty and the Beast. Beauty must leave home and live in the palace of the Beast to save her father’s life. Meeting the fearsome Beast coming out of the shadows is even more frightening than she expected.
The palace is filled with intriguing animal servants who take care of Beauty, and gradually the Beast befriends her as she comes to know him. Yet she cannot accept his proposal of marriage because she cannot return his love. Will she break his heart forever?
Jan Brett provides a magical dimension to the tale in exquisite tapestries, which offer clues to the outcome of the stories dilemma.
Extraordinary illustrations of the palace rooms and an abundance of roses and wandering peacocks in the palace gardens are enchanting. Readers will marvel at the gorgeous Beauty, and who her ugly suitor really is, as they too are won over by the Beast’s kindness.
What the first Three Sentences Say: “Once upon a time, there lived a merchant’s daughter so lovely and kind that all who knew her called her Beauty. Beauty lived with her father and two sisters in wealth and without worry. Then suddenly their father lost everything when his ships, laden with riches, vanished at sea.”
Why I love it: The love of course. Here instead of the love in the modern fairy tale I spoke of last Friday, love is tested and magic has to occur before a couple can be happily married. And of course I just love the art. Jan Brett’s illustrations are magnificent. As the jacket says her roses and peacocks make the story vividly come to life. There are tapestries in several of the pages with text of foreshadowing that add a special level to the story. I got the book as much for the old fairy tale as for the art. The art is delicious.
And that is my Perfect Picture Book Friday for today but I do have one gift for my writer friends and anyone who is a fan of Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way: a blog talk radio show! If you’re in a hurry you can listen in bursts or if like me you walk on a tread mill listen while you walk with ear phones in.
I hope you like it.
As Laura Renault says in her PPBF posts:
“Craving more Perfect Picture Books? Author Susanna Leonard Hill compiles weekly book reviews from bloggers at www.susannahill.blogspot.com. Visit Fridays or click the Perfect Picture Books tab at her website for a subject listing.”
© 2013 Clara Bowman-Jahn/ Clarike Bowman-Jahn
See you next Tuesday! XXxOOOo
Clarbojahn's Blog 
I love Jan Brett so I’m sure this book is absolutely gorgeous! Is it new? I saw Cinders by Jan on a shelf in the bookstore yesterday – which now I think might be Cinderella – and I wonder if she’s on a fairy tale kick?! 🙂
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I don’t know when this book got published! I usually put that info right along with the publishing info but see I forgot it this time. Sssoo sorry. I would love to know if it were new now. And I already returned the book to the library. Would love to know if she were on a fairy tale kick.
Her art is to die for. 🙂
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This version of Beauty and the Beast was originally published in 1989.
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Thanks so much, Joanne. i think Jan Brett did her version later on. 🙂 In the Twenty first century. 🙂
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You always win with a Jan Brett book. I haven’t read this modern fairy tale. Sounds like it is beautifully written and illustrated.
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Thanks, Pat, Yes, this classic is just beautiful.
Jan Brett did a wonderful job. 🙂
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My girls were little when we first read this from the school library, so I’d say early 90’s. We were introduced to Jan Brett with The Mitten when my daughter’s 2nd grade class acted out some picture books. She then brought home Jan Brett books for quite a while from the school library. This is wonderful.
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I need to read “the Mitten” and any other Jan Brett Books. I don’t want to miss out. 🙂
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Looks pretty, as do all Jan Brett’s books!
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Actually the cover of the book I read was different than the copy on Amazon that I copied for here. I like mine better. 🙂
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Strange!
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Sounds wonderful Clar. Beauty and the Beast was a childhood favorite of mine. Your descriptions of the art work (delicious!) makes it a “must read!” (look at) for me. Now also pinned to Book Reviews (kids to YA) on Pinterest.
Books for Kids – Skype Author Visits
http://www.margotfinke.com
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Yes, the art is delicious. Brett starts the magic with a beautiful peacock feather and expands to roses. They are so real, it makes me want to smell the page!
Thanks so much for adding this to pinterest. I do value that. 🙂
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This sounds like a great rendition of the fairy tale! 😀
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It really is Erik, The art makes the magic so compelling. 🙂
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You can’t go wrong with Jan Brett! This one looks great. Thanks!
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Thanks, Rhythm! I need to find other Jan Brett books. 🙂
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I’ve always loved this one. In fact, I chose one of the illustrations in this book to paint a master-copy in art school. Thanks, Clar. And I love your idea about the treadmill!
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Thanks, Joanne!
I get a lot done on the treadmill. 🙂
I would love to see your renditions. 🙂
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You can’t go wrong with a classic. Every generation needs to hear these stories. This looks like a wonderful version.
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Yes, I love it that Jan Brett is re doing the classics in her illustrations. She is such a good artist and children’s illustrator. 🙂
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Oh how I love retellings! My library has it and I put it on hold. Can’t wait!
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