Beauty and the Beast (Five Minute Classic Tales)

ISBN 0755403231 - The cover illustration is a fairly accurate preview of those inside - a little like watercolors, ok but not great - and of the story itself. Adapted by Christine Deverell and illustrated by David Long, this edition is average all the way around.

A merchant with three daughters - two of them a bit greedy and superficial and the third, Beauty, kind hearted and loving - sets off on a long journey, promising to return with the gifts his daughters ask for. All Beauty wants is a white rose, which turns out to be the hardest thing to find. Lost in a snowstorm, the merchant finds shelter in a castle. He sees no one, but everything he wants and needs is there for him, so he takes advantage of the chance to eat and rest in comfort. Before he is able to leave, he meets an ugly beast who will allow the merchant to go if he will promise to return with the first thing that runs out to greet him when he gets home. Sadly, for the merchant, that turns out to be Beauty. She and her father agree he must keep his promise and, in time, Beauty settles into her new life with the Beast. He gives her everything, including the chance to go home when her father is ill and, eventually, Beauty realizes – and admits – she loves him, turning him into the handsome prince he’d been before he was cursed by a witch.

The story feels hurried much of the time and drags at others, there's no real flow to the adaptation. Kids won't notice that too much, but the illustrations are likely to disappoint them. Worth reading, but a better edition deserves the shelf space over this one.

- AnnaLovesBooks