Hello, friends! Our book today is Beauty And The Beast, retold by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Meg Park, a new twist on the classic love story.

In the countryside lived a man and his three daughters. The youngest daughter, Beauty, was kind and lovin. One winter, as their father was returning home from the port, he became trapped in a blizzard, and found food and shelter in a castle deep in the woods. As he leaves the next day, he finds a single red rose and, hoping to give it to Beauty, plucks it. This enrages his heretofore unseen host, the Beast, who demands that the man remain as his servant until death as punishment for his ingratitude. Upon learning this, Beauty insists on taking his place instead, and begins to find that the Beast is not as monstrous as he appears.

This was an interesting take on the classic story that had both positives and negatives for me. On the plus side, the art was just gorgeous, mixing a modern animation-inspired style with a soothing winter palette to create some very lovely illustrations, including some clever visual nods to the seminal Disney version. The story had some bright spots as well: I loved that Beauty initially rejects Beast because she is not in love with him, and he accepts it – there is less rage and spite in this Beast. However, from a feminist perspective, this is a story that has always been problematic, and even this earnest version has issues. I wasn’t wild about Beauty’s needlessly nasty sisters, who promptly disappear from the story after the first act with no resolution to their behavior. And while the length was good, the story felt a bit rushed, and the ending abrupt. I would have liked to see more of Beauty and Beast and less of the family’s financial struggles. Still, this was a commendable take on a beloved classic with some lovely art, and JJ enjoyed it, so it’s Baby Bookworm approved!