Beauty and the Beast [Hardcover]

M. Mayer (Author), Mercer Mayer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000 | Age Level: 4 and up

Generations of children have been fascinated by the story of the girl named Beauty, who grows to love a fearsome beast by learning to see and cherish his kindness, generosity, and intelligence. In this acclaimed, best-selling version of the classic tale, first published in 1978, Marianna Mayer's evocative imagery and Mercer Mayer's exquisite paintings transport readers into a world of pure magic and mystery.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Also celebrating an anniversaryAits 30thAis Whose Mouse Are You? by Robert Kraus, illus. by Jose Aruego. Minimalist art and memorable text are more than the sum of its parts: "Whose mouse are you?/ Nobody's mouse./ Where is your mother?/ Inside a cat," it begins forlornly, but reverses into a joyful ending, with the mouse reuniting his far-flung family and gaining a new brother. (S&S, $17 40p ages 3-7 ISBN 0-689-84052-7; Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Marianna Mayer has written many books for children, including The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Unicorn and the Lake, and Young Jesus of Nazareth, a Publishers Weekly Best Religion Book of 1999. She lives in Roxbury, Connecticut.

Mercer Mayer is the author and illustrator of more than 100 children's books, including There's a Nightmare in My Closet, Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp, and Shibumi and the Kitemaker. He is also the creator of the best-selling Little Critter and Little Monster series. He lives in North Carolina.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587170175
• ISBN-13: 978-1587170171
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > European

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of a Kind, December 29, 2001

By 

Jessica Cameron (Decatur, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beauty and the Beast (Hardcover)

A thousand words cannot begin to describe this book. Marianna Mayer took a story that all readers would be familiar with and without drastically changing it, gave us a breath of fresh air from our childhood. Her prose is outstanding but the true standout is the way she portrays emotion. In too many fairy tales, the characters are cool and aloof and the only human emotion portrayed is love. In this "Beauty and the Beast," the lucky reader can see the depth of Beauty and the Beast's despair and hope. As for the illustrations, they are breathtaking! Mercer Mayer's fairy tale work is incredible and full of detail. Beauty's rooms are rich and colorful. Beauty is gorgeous and the Beast is a tad scary. Unusual details include the Egyptian motifs scattered thourghout the castle, especially the sphinx off in a distant room. I highly recommend this book, no matter what your age. This book has an heirloom quality to it and the story is as beautiful and as timeless as the mountains outside Beauty's window.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a picture book from childhoods past., May 20, 2001

By 

Lady of Shalotte "ladyofshalotte" (The Enchanted Forrest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beauty and the Beast (Hardcover)

The story is beautiful yet familiar. The drawings are heartachingly exquisite. Even the pictures in my mind's eye aren't as sumptuous as the illustrations in this book. Mercer Mayer outdid himself. Each time I read this book I discover something new in each painting. I am shocked that it did not receive a Caldicott. Mayer's fairytales have a distressing habit of going out of print- buy this one while you still can. I plan to pass my copy down through generations.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite illustrations add to the beauty of this tale, January 18, 1999

By 

Heather P. Wales - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beauty and the Beast (Paperback)

In a faithful re-telling of the French fairy tale, Marianna Mercer has successfully captured the essence of the story: that true love is blind to all appearances, and that ugliness from without does not necessarily denote ugliness from within. Mercer Mayer's beautiful and carefully done illustrations highlight the magic of the story, portraying both the loveliness of the heroine, Beauty, as well as the inner mean-spirited nature of her beautiful but scornful sisters. I particularly loved his illustrations of Beauty's father, the merchant, which went from despair and sorrow at the loss of his rich cargo ships, to the surprise at being caught by the Beast in the rose garden, to the joy at seeing his daughter again after her "captivity" in the Beast's castle. I first received this book in the early '80's for Christmas from a beloved brother; though my first copy was destroyed, I was lucky enough to be able to purchase another hardcover edition just a few years ago, and it is a favorite of mine which my children hear read to them very often. My advice is to get the hardcover edition, because the softcover may not last as long through all of the readings, but whatever edition you buy, do not miss out on this wonderful and relevant tale retold with skill and beauty.