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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
I was really sad to see this. Can't we do better?, June 23, 2007
This review is from: Classic Starts: Black Beauty (Classic Starts Series) (Hardcover)
Being a typical horse-loving 10 year old girl (way, way back in the day..), it almost goes without saying that of course I read Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. The story of the gentle black horse in Victorian England is simple and perfect. It's a true classic for kids, proven over several generations that have grown up reading it just as I did. With this in mind, I went looking to buy a copy at a bookstore yesterday as a birthday present for a 10 year old young lady. Now as far as I know, kids today are no less intelligent, and they do still teach them to read starting in Kindergarten. So imagine my horror at discovering that the attractively bound, hardback of Black Beauty that I picked up was, uh, *paraphrased* (actually there are more accurate terms for it, but for the sake of the Amazon censors I'd better stick to the less graphic ones). Comparing selections of this version side by side with the original, the so-called "Classic Starts" Black Beauty plot is stripped down; worse, the lovely language of the original has been replaced with, ahem, simplified text and dialog that could have been written by the author of the Judy Moody books. This left little sense of the turn of the century England setting, and completely obliterated the spirit and style of Anna Sewell. Is this the publisher's idea of a quality introduction to children's lit? What I really want to know is, why change it at all? As I said, kids today aren't less smart, they should be able to read the real Black Beauty well enough by the time they are in the 9-12 suggested age range. The reason it's a classic is because IT WORKED JUST AS IT WAS. Sorry, I had to put that in large type for the publishers, who evidently believe that the rest of the population matches their literary fluency. I hope other parents who are planning on purchasing this and other classics for their kids will catch the difference between the CS paraphrased/heavily edited/oh what the heck, dumbed down versions and the real books. Apparently the School Library Journal agrees with me on this, if you care to read their review above the customer reviews on the product page. -Andrea, aka Merribelle
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The all-time horse story for horselovers to have of their own best like the 1994 version of Black Beauty starring Sean Bean, September 28, 2006
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Classic Starts: Black Beauty (Classic Starts Series) (Hardcover)
I like horses and the colour black and Black Beauty is my favourite book and one of the best novels by Anna Sewell. He is a beautiful black animal with a white star on his forehead and one white foot and in the novel of Black Beauty, Black Beauty's white foot was usually always on the back in the left and another second best of Black Beauty's white foot was on the front in the right and that's where I like to see Black Beauty's white foot and it's perfect for the best on the front in the right and the left, and the one hind leg on the left and that's how you like Black Beauty and the best choices. The characters in this book of Black Beauty where Black Beauty's white foot is perfect in the back left for the best novel is just perfect for the one of this one of the my favourite four characters out of this book just to tell you of what the best new clothes only for the one illustrated by Lucy Corvino is what they would wear and they are John Manly the coachman in a brown derby hat, black tie (sometimes), blue and white stripped shirt with white collar and white cuffs, brown vest, long brown jacket, grey pants and tall brown leather riding boots, James Howard the stableboy in a plaid green cap, yellow shirt with blue stripes, plaid vest of green and black, light green scarf, brown riding pants and tall black leather riding boots, then Joe Green the stableboy after James leaves in a brown cap, white shirt, blue scarf, brown vest, brown riding jacket, beige riding pants and tall black leather riding boots with brown tops, and then in My Last Home when Joe Green becomes a man, Joe would be in a green cap, blue necktie, pink shirt, brown vest, blue blazer, beige riding pants and tall black leather riding boots and when Joe is in the low park cab with Miss Ellen, Joe is in a different outfit of a green cap, white shirt, black tie, black vest, brown riding jacket, grey pants, and short black leather boots, Mr. York the headgroom in a black top hat, white ascot, brown vest with blue in the back, blue shirt, red jacket with a black collar and cuffs, beige riding pants and tall black leather riding boots with brown tops, then Jerry Barker in a black derby hat, white shirt, black tie, black vest, black blazer, black pants, black shoes and in the winter Jerry is in a black derby hat, red scarf, white shirt, black vest, black blazer, long brown jacket, black leather gloves, black pants and black shoes, then Farmer Thoroughgood in a brown hat, white shirt, blue and gold stripped tie, light brown vest, brown jacket, grey pants and short brown leather boots, then Willie in a light brown cap, light green shirt, brown vest, light brown jacket, brown pants, white socks and short black leather boots and that's the only way very perfect for some of the few favourite characters out of this book of Black Beauty so you'd know what their clothing would have been like to match up the 1994 movie of Black Beauty starring Sean Bean and that's the only way It'll match up this movie now. This book of Black Beauty - adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino reminds me of the simularity to the 1951 book of Black Beauty illustrated by Robert Doremus published by Whitman and a book on Horses Cube book by Valeria Manferto De Fabianis and DVD movies on Yours, Mine & Ours starring Dennis Quaid, Disney's Where the Red Fern Grows, Black Beauty (1994) starring Sean Bean, The Last Cowboy (2003) starring Lance Henriksen and The Great American Western with episode 2 Jesse James' Women starring Don Barry and Mike Carr and that's what this means to me, a lot. I loved and enjoyed this book of Black Beauty. For this book of Black Beauty adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino (where Beauty's white foot should actually really have suppossed to be on the back in the left) to make this go good and great and I'm pretty sure his white foot should actually really be on the back in the left because that would only be the best novel for that. At the end of the book that should take part of with the 1994 version of Black Beauty starring Sean Bean, Black Beauty would come into the care of Joe Green because Joe Green & Black Beauty are home again together at Farmer Thoroughgood's place and Joe Green is proud to be home with him again. The best 17 black and white illustrations that you might love to look at in you head and love the best are: I Lived in a Large Pleasant Meadow My Master Took Me to the Smith Ginger Was Hit With a Whip I Knew That the Bridge Was Not Safe "Come, Beauty! It is time for us to be off. Come along!" John rang the bell twice and then a window was opened Mr. York Came into Look at Us Lizzie Dashed off "But I'm afraid I Must Sell the Black One." Poor Rory Was Speared With The Gig Shaft! The Horse Fair was the Best Place The First Time I Pulled a Cab "I'll Do All That Can Be Done, Sir." Dolly Brought Jerry's "First Course" "I'll Drive You safe to the Hospital." "Get going, Lazy Fellow, or I Will Make You!" Then The Farmer Looked at My Mouth Those would be the best seventeen black and white illustrations to look at in the Black Beauty book and they would be your favourites for the slow years to slowly and slow come. From now on, my new favorite seven Black Beauty books to live easier with the one of Classic Starts: Black Beauty (Classic Starts Series) adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino are Illustrated by Neil Reid: published and copyright in 2001 by Prospero books, Illustrated in colour by G. P. Micklewright, Illustrated by Scott McKowen, Adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson, Illustrated by John Beer and colour illustrations by Cecil Aldin, Lucy Kemp-Welch and G. P. Micklewright, and Illustrated by Ian Andrew and only from now on, that's my best promised new only seven favourite from now collection on only just the seven books of Black Beauty to live and read with but, they are now the best real ones I would be in for the ones I like are the best and that's how I'll make my living that way forever and now only just to live with and no more, just my only best now-on favourites to live in somehow and carefully to live in and the only ones I'd take part in are Illustrated in colour by G. P. Micklewright, Illustrated by John Beer with colour illustrations by Cecil Aldin (part of in with John Beer), Lucy Kemp-Welch and G. P. Micklewright and Illustrated by Ian Andrew and those are the only best three books of Black Beauty I want to follow in, live with and be part of and the only ones that follow the movies are Classic Starts: Black Beauty (Classic Starts Series) adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino and Adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson (the only best two that follow the 1994 movie of Black Beauty starring Sean Bean) and Illustrated by Scott McKowen (the only best one that follows the 1978 cartoon animated version of Black Beauty with David Gregory), and those are the only seven except I only live in four of the books and the other three books just only follow the movies, and the one by Neil Reid can be by itself for sure sometimes. Black Beauty's white foot on the back in the left in the different books of Neil Reed: Prospero books 2001, Adapted by June Brigman & Roy Richardson and Adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino. So that's where I would like to see Black Beauty's white foot on the back in the left for sure and for real in the only three. Black Beauty's white foot on the front in the right in the different book of Illustrated by Scott McKowen. So that's where I would like to see Black Beauty's white foot on the front in the right for sure and for real in the only one. Black Beauty with three white feet of two on the front in the right and left and the one in the hind left in the ones Illustrated by Ian Andrew and Illustrated in colour by G. P. Micklewright for the real only two to live in. I loved, liked and enjoyed this book and it's the greatest novel of all times of the greatest horse story ever told. Best book ever:)!
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0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The all-time horse story for horselovers to have of their own best, July 4, 2006
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Classic Starts: Black Beauty (Classic Starts Series) (Hardcover)
I like horses and the color black and Black Beauty is my favorite book and one of the best novels by Anna Sewell. He is a beautiful black animal with a white star on his forehead and one white foot and in the novel of Black Beauty, Black Beauty's white foot was usually always on the back in the left and another second best of Black Beauty's white foot was on the front in the right and that's where I like to see Black Beauty's white foot and it's perfect for the best on the front in the right and the left, and the hind leg on the left and that's how you like Black Beauty and the best choices. My favorite character in this book is Joe Green, because at the end of Black Beauty, Joe becomes a man and one lucky day, he finds that horse he used to care for and gets excited when he said he had almost killed him so many nearly ten years ago at Squire Gordon's farm after coming back from the Doctor's. This is the best one adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino because this book is the another best favorite and must to have for your collection to own and that's what I mean. The characters in this book of Black Beauty where Black Beauty's white foot is on the back in the left of the one of for this one of the few seven charcters out of this book just to tell you of what clothes they would wear and they are John Manly the coachman in a plaid green cap, white shirt, plaid vest of green and black, green riding jacket with yellow lining, brown riding pants and tall black leather riding boots, except in A Stormy Day, when John Manly would be in a different outfit when he would be in a black derby hat, white shirt, red tie, brown vest, black blazer, grey pants and tall black leather riding boots, then James Howard the stableboy in a plaid green cap, yellow shirt with blue stripes, plaid vest of green and black, light green scarf, brown riding pants and tall black leather riding boots, then Joe Green the stableboy after James leaves in a brown cap, white shirt, brown vest, grey riding jacket, beige riding pants and tall black leather riding boots, then Reuben Smith in black top hat, white shirt, black vest, blue riding jacket, black leather gloves, grey pants and tall black leather riding boots with brown tops, Alfred Smirk in a brown cap, light blue shirt, red tie, black vest, brown pants and short black leather boots, then Jerry Barker in a black derby hat, white shirt, black tie, black vest, black blazer, black pants, black shoes and in the winter Jerry is in a black derby hat, red scarf, white shirt, black vest, black blazer, long brown jacket, black leather gloves, black pants and black shoes and then Nicholas Skinner in a black top hat, black bowtie, white shirt, green vest, blue jacket, grey pants and short black leather boots and then in My Last Home when Joe Green becomes a man, Joe would be in a green cap, blue necktie, pink shirt, brown vest, blue blazer, beige riding pants and tall black leather riding boots and when Joe is in the low park cab with Miss Ellen, Joe is in a different outfit of a green cap, white shirt, black tie, black vest, brown riding jacket, grey pants, and short black leather boots and that's very perfect for some of the few favorite characters out of this book of Black Beauty so you'd know what their clothing would have been like. This book of Black Beauty - adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino reminds me of a book on The Lion King: A Read-Aloud Storybook (Read-Aloud Storybook) (Hardcover) and the DVD movies of Bonanza, Vol. 8: The Spitfire/The Stranger/The Mission, The Silver Stallion, Painted Hero, Fly Away Home starring Jeff Daniels, Jeopardy!: An Inside Look At America's Favorite Quiz Show starring Alex Trebek because of episode 4. Ultimate II: Brad Takes Control in Ultimate Finals, the 1988 National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, Nevada, some episodes of Lonesome Dove and the 2006 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (Wrangler NFR), for this year in Las Vegas, Nevada and that's what this means to me, a lot. I loved and enjoyed this book of Black Beauty. For this book of Black Beauty adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino (where Beauty's white foot should actually really have suppossed to be on the back in the left) to make this go good and great and I'm pretty sure his white foot should actually really be on the back in the left because that would only be the best novel for that. At the end of the book, Black Beauty comes into the care of Joe Green with three kind ladies and Joe Green is proud to be home with him again. My other new favorite Black Beauty books with the one of adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino is the other best eight are Illustrated by Neil Reed: Published by Prospero books in 2001, Illustrated by Ian Andrew, Adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson, Illustrated by Scott McKowen, Illustrated by William Geldart, Illustrated by G. P. Micklewright, Adapted by Mary Sebag-montefiore and Illustrated by Alan Marks and Illustrated by Mike Grimsdale and that's my best new favorite eight books of Black Beauty to live and read with but, the real ones I would be in for the ones I like are Illustrated by Neil Reid published in 2001 by Prospero books, Illustrated by Scott McKowen (which is the easiest one to live with, because of the five black and white illustrations which are great and good and much easier), Illustrated by Ian Andrew, Adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson, Retold by Lisa Church and Illustrated by Lucy Corvino, Illustrated by William Geldart and G. P. Micklewright and that's the best seven books to be in of Black Beauty. The best three Black Beauty books I like are the real best nine ones I should live with and must try real hard to be in the ones that would be in for the ones I like are illustrated by Neil Reid published by Prospero books in 2001, Illustrated by Scott McKowen (which is the easiest one to live with, because of the five black and white illustrations which are great and good and much easier), Adapted by Mary Sebag-montefiore and Illustrated by Alan Marks, illustrated by William Geldart, Adapted by June Brigman & Roy Richardson, Adapted by Lisa Church and Illustrated by Lucy Corvino, Illustrated by G. P. Micklewright and Illustrated by Mike Grimsdale and that's the best nine books to be in of Black Beauty and that's how I'll make my living that way. Another two favorites of Black Beauty I like are his white foot on the back in the left and three white feet of two on the front in the right and the left and the one in the hind left and that's three different favorites I like of Black Beauty and where his white foot will be. Examples of my favorite horse of Black Beauty in different ten books of his white foot are: Black Beauty's white foot on the back in the left in the different books of Adapted by Laura F. Marsh, Neil Reed: Prospero books 2001, Adapted by June Brigman & Roy Richardson, Adapted by Lisa Church and illustrated by Lucy Corvino, Illustrated by Illustrated by Mike Grimsdale, Illustrated by Kate Aldous, Illustrated by Robert Doremus and Illustrated by James Needham. So that's where I would like to see Black Beauty's white foot on the back in the left for sure and for real. Black Beauty's white foot on the front in the right in the different book of Illustrated by Scott McKowen. So that's where I would like to see Black Beauty's white foot on the front in the right. Black Beauty with three white feet of two on the front in the right and left and the one in the hind left in the ones Illustrated by Ian Andrew, Illustrated by William Geldart, Illustrated in colour by G. P. Micklewright, Adapted by Mary Sebag-montefiore and Illustrated by Alan Marks and Illustrated by Maurice Wilson. So that's where I would see Black Beauty with three white feet so his you would want it on the front in the right and the left, back in the left and if you see one white foot because of the three, you would say the one on the front in the left and that's the all time best horse ever to have. Black Beauty is my favorite horse and he would be a great horse for roping and bulldogging as if he could be a perfect rodeo horse. If you wanted to live your own life and had two different horses of Black Beauty, the ones you would have are the first one with the white star on the forehead and the three white feet of one on the front in the right and the left and the back hind in the left and that's how you love that horse because of the white feet of one on the back in the left and two on the front in the left and right which is the best one to have and another living to make of a second Black Beauty to own is his white foot on the back in the right and that's how you might want to make your living to read three books of Black Beauty of Illustrated by William Geldart, 24 plates in colour illustrated by Lionel Edwards published in 1954 and Illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg - Illustrated Junior Library copyright in 1995 and that's how another person makes their living for those three books for the years of 1948, 1956, 1960, 1977, 1987, 1989 and 1990 and that's how Jerry Wood (a friend of ours in Calgary, Alberta) would make his living to own three Black Beauty books illustrated by William Geldart, illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg and 24 plates in colour illustrated by Lionel Edwards and that's how the world would mean for Jerry Wood for the abebooks.com Black Beauty (1994) starring Sean Bean DVD is like the novel with the three of the books on three different Black Beauty books of Adapted by Laura F. Marsh, and Illustrated by James Needham and because those three different books of Black Beauty would go great with the movie as the three matched up and go. The one illustrated by James Needham for sure goes great with the movie because of his white foot on the back...
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