Beauty and the Beast by Katie Haworth and Dinara Mirtalipova
| Beauty and the Beast by Katie Haworth and Dinara Mirtalipova | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Amy Etherington
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| Summary: It's a story we all know: the tale of the beauty and the beast. Although condensed down to make it suitable for younger readers, the illustrations certainly add more to the story in this beautifully published picture book. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 12 | Date: October 2017 |
| Publisher: Templar Publishing | |
| ISBN: 978-1783704576 | |
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We all know the story of beauty and the beast. A prince, transformed in to a monster for his cruel and malicious nature, trapped in his grotesque form seemingly for the rest of his days. Then comes along a young woman, the beauty of the story, who mellows the beast's harsh character and grows to love him for who he is, and not because of his appearance. It's a fairy tale of old and a story of love crossing boundaries which has been adapted countless times both on screen and in literature. So is this new retelling worth the read? I think so, because I loved it.
The story is one we're all familiar with of course, nothing much changing in the plot with the exception of a few characters added and some removed. The version most of us are familiar with are the ones we've seen on film, but Katie Haworth and Dinara Mirtalipova have reimagined the original story written by eighteenth century French novelist Villeneuve. Haworth has condensed the story down, making it shorter and more suitable for younger readers, but that doesn't make it any less enchanting because this would make the perfect night time story to read to or alongside the children in your life. What I found so special about this particular edition are the illustrations, stunningly drawn by Dinara Mirtalipova. With the artwork alongside the text, all enclosed in a sturdy hardback cover, I feel this is worthy of being one of the most beautifully produced books I've ever read.
It's a delightful 3D reading experience. Who said pop up books had to be just for children? I got such joy from turning each page and seeing the layers and the details that were put in to each part of the story. The illustrations are drawn in deep colours that pop from the page and it's exquisite just to admire for the artwork alone. I confess I was quite blown away by the detail that was put in – a lot of love has been put in to this book. It's a short read, one that I completed in under ten minutes but it was enjoyable and I would certainly read it again. This would make a wonderful gift for young readers, but even if you're just a fan of the fairy tale yourself then this is a lovely edition to add to your shelves. Many thanks to Templar Publishing for providing The Bookbag with a copy.
If you would like to explore some more fairy tale retellings, then I would recommend checking out The Thousand Nights and One Night by David Walser. For a YA retelling of the story, try Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Beauty and the Beast by Katie Haworth and Dinara Mirtalipova at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Beauty and the Beast by Katie Haworth and Dinara Mirtalipova at Amazon.com.
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