Jan Brett wanted her version
of Beauty and the Beast to be a fairy tale in which a fairy actually
appears. Jan says:
"A fairy's spell is the catalyst that sets in motion
the events that prove the worth of the
characters. My Beast is a wild boar, modeled on the work of 19th
century illustrator, Walter Crane. The tapestries were inspired by those
designed by the William Morris company as part of the England Arts and
Crafts Movement. The mottos on them attempt to capture the spirit of Sir
Arthur Quiller-Couch's version of this tale, in which the messages
appear over doorways and in dreams."
The story of Beauty and the Beast has been a classic
fairytale favorite for centuries, as popular today as it was long ago.
Jan Brett offers a romantic and mysterious view of the struggles between
Beauty and the Beast. Beauty must leave home and live in a palace of the
Beast to save her father's life. Meeting the fearsome Beast coming out
of the shadows is even more frightening than she expected.
The palace is filled with intriguing animal servants who take
care of Beauty, and gradually the Beast befriends her as she comes
to know him. Yet she cannot accept his proposal of marriage because she
cannot return his love. Will she break his heart forever?
Jan Brett provides a magical dimension to the tale in
exquisite tapestries, which offer clues to the outcome of the story's
dilemma.
Extraordinary illustrations of the palace rooms and an
abundance of roses and wandering peacocks in the palace gardens are
enchanting. Readers will marvel at the gorgeous Beauty, and who her ugly
suitor really is, as they too are won over by the Beast kindness. |
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