Friday, 15 November 2019
ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book of the Week - Week Ending 15th November 2019: "Black Beauty" by Anna Sewell and Christian Birmingham (Palazzo Editions)
Labels:
Anna Sewell,
Black Beauty,
Chapter Book of the Week 2019,
Christian Birmingham,
Palazzo Books
The trend for highly illustrated but 'meatier' chapter-based stories is fantastic and definitely something we want to see more of. But oh, imagine the delight of seeing a book beloved from childhood making a comeback in a gorgeous hardbacked edition like this.
Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty" with illustrations by Christian Birmingham is one of the most beautiful editions (fittingly) of this classic tale.
I remember the amount of flak I got for wanting to read this as a kid. "It's a girl's book, why do you want to read that?" - you can probably imagine the sort of thing. Yet back then there was a TV adaptation that was mesmerisingly good (and yep, Judy Bowker was probably a first crush) so I just had to read the book. I wasn't quite prepapred for a story that was entirely unique - told from the perspective of Beauty himself, a glorious black horse whose life is destined for adventure, peril and excitement.
When Black Beauty took his first faltering steps as a foal, he could not have imagined the life ahead of him.
Following his mother's advice to always try his best, he enjoyed the adventures of country and city life, made new friends and suffered from the cruelty and greed of his human masters.
Beauty faced each challenge with bravery and kindness, until a chance encounter with an old friend ultimately brings him the greatest joy of all.
I think this was one of the first books I remember reading as a kid that brought forth such a colossal and unexpected emotional response, with the highs and lows of Beauty's story, and the deft and atmospheric writing style wholly immersing you in a tale that's intricate, varied and uplifting. Christian's gorgeous illustrations just add to the whole thing, making this a luxurious and perfect version of a story that was already utterly amazing anyway.
Sum this book up in a sentence: Still one of the greatest children's books of the 20th century, and still as completely entrancing as ever it was in this gorgeous new edition.
"Black Beauty" by Anna Sewell and Christian Birmingham is out now, published by Palazzo Editions (kindly supplied for review).
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