#355 of 1001 · July 21, 2021

We are now midway through Beauty and the Beast Week, which brings us to Deborah Apy’s eloquent adaptation, illustrated by Michael Hague. Apy weaves a lengthy narrative replete with rich descriptive language and complex dialogue, along the way providing memorable and intriguing details (a regal leonine Beast, two conniving stepsisters called Adelle and Jeanette, a magical wooden trunk full of enchanted butterflies, a hidden garden populated with bizarre animals, and an enigmatic moment in which the Beast enters Beauty’s room with blood on his hands and simply gazes upon her as she sleeps). The bright colors of Hague’s art glow with light and shadow. Apy’s inclusion of a unicorn as a mysterious figure in Beauty’s recurring dreams allows him to incorporate his signature mythical beast into the work. #beauty #beast #castle #rose #mirror #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks