#358 of 1001 · July 24, 2021

Beauty and the Beast Week is at an end—but not before one final, breathtaking version by Max Eilenberg and Angela Barrett. Eilenberg imbues his story with a wealth of literary detail. The story opens with a character study of wealthy merchant Ernest Jeremiah Augustus Fortune, Esquire, and his three daughters, Gertrude, Hermione, and Beauty. From there, the well-known plot unfolds, replete with lavish descriptions of the Beast’s palace and the marvels found within, and anchored by deep observations of the characters’ emotional relationships. Barrett’s pale, haunting watercolor illustrations lend the narrative an extra dimension of pathos. Her Beast displays the stunning and unique design of an upright black squirrel, feral and completely nude; his facial expressions and body language evince a palpable aspect of bitterness, grief, and resignation. #beauty #beast #palace #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