Beauty and the Beast is about a young woman that at first was forced to go and live with a beast because her father had stolen one single rose from the beast's garden. When the young woman lived with the beast she became very fond of him but missed her family. She asked the beast if she could go visit her family and he said yes. He gave her a ring that if she turned it, she would be home with her family and if she turned it again she would be back with the beast. When she returned home although she was enjoying her family she missed the beast. He was very ugly but spoke to her so gently and treated her so well. She saw that the beast was ill in the ring that he had given her and she missed him so that she returned to the beast and when she told the beast that she loved him, after a flash of light he became a very handsome prince. She had broken the spell and they married shortly after and lived happily ever after.

I really liked this story because it teaches children that you can not judge a book by its cover. Although something or someone might look horribly, you never know whats underneath. I think this story is an excellent story for young children that might think that they are different and that no one cares about them. Also I think that this story is great because it lets them use their imagination.

One extension idea that you can use in a classroom is to use the rose and have your students wright the importance of the rose in the story. Another extension idea for younger children that you can do with this story is make a maze with beauty on side and beast on the other and have them help beauty find her way back to the beast. Another extension idea is to have them draw a picture of a person that they care about and explain why they care of about them.

The plot features a family of six and their father. The father falls on hard times and the family has to move to a small cottage away from what they are used to. Beauty was the kindest of her brothers and sisters and when her father left on a business trip all she asked for was a rose to reminder of her old rose garden. During his travels Beauty’s father found a beautiful warm garden and castle in the midst of a snow storm, he enters the castle and feasts and falls asleep. On his way out the next morning he picks a rose for Beauty and is confronted by the Beast. The Beast is mad at him and makes a deal to have one of his daughters in return he will forgive the father. Upon return, the who family agrees that Beauty should go because she asked for a rose. She agrees and goes to live with the beast. They begin to bond over many suppers. Beauty gets a tow months pass to return home from the beast and does. The Beast gave her a magic ring that would transport her back to the castle when she is done visiting. One night after her return home, Beauty realises that she misses the beast more than she though. She looks in to the ring the ring while thinking of the Beast and sees him dying in the garden. She quickly puts the ring on to be transported to his side. At his side she cries out, “don’t die Beast I love you” and the spell is broke. The Beast is transformed to a handsome prince and they live happily ever after.

I thought the book was a mix of traditional fairly tales and modern fairytales. I liked it but I do not think that this version would go over well with a child that was a fan of Disney. They would find this version too different. ( )