Enduring Children's Classics, and the Illustrators we love
The illustrators
The year is 1740 and Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, writes her novel titled La Belle et la Bête, a beautiful but lengthy, fairytale, written with an adult audience in mind.
Sixteen years later, the first of many, MANY adaptations is written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince De Beaumont. Shortened and smoothed out, it is easier for children to read and understand. It is missing some beloved elements (for example: the library in the Beasts’ castle), but it is an otherwise excellent adaptation of the original.
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You will find no princes in the pictures below. I felt it important to leave some discovery, some mystery, at large. However, I have tried my best to uniformly picture Beauty, her rose, the Beast and his mysterious castle as solidly as provided illustration allowed. Enjoy!
1740 - Original!
Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot De Villeneuve
Edward Corbould & Brothers Dalziel
The Brothers Dalziel were wood engravers based in Victorian London who worked with various artists, to create beautifully detailed engravings for many books, including Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
Edward Corbould joined the Brothers to adorn the first ever translated version of Madame de Villeneuve’s Beauty and the Beast, with the two gorgeous illustrations shown here.
Translated into English by J. R. Planche
Pook Press, 2017 (originally published 1858)
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∞ Amazon
MINALIMA
I did not find as many illustrated versions of the original as I thought I would, so I was thrilled that Minalima chose Madame de Villeneuve’s original to add to their illustrated classics collection.
I think the design studio founded by Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima (known for their work on the Harry Potter films) does an amazing job on all their books, and their Beauty and the Beast is no different.
Their Beast resembles the Beast in Disney’s animated version, but appropriately less adorable. Chapter headings are gorgeously illustrated, and numerous interactive elements are to be found throughout.
Harper Design, 2017
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1756 - Original Adapted Version
Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
Edy Legrand
(1892-1970)
Coming Soon!
I had arrangements to see this through my local library. Unfortunately, it was found to have been missing. Trying to track it down but in the meantime, here is an illustration of Beauty’s dream.
Translated by P.H. Muir
Limited Editions Club, 1949
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∞ Abebooks
Erica Ducornet
Erica Ducornet’s delicately intricate illustrations are so similar to Jean Cousteau’s 1946 film (which if you haven’t yet seen please do!) that they have to be so inspired! On the flip side, I think this might be one of the versions that inspired the visuals of the 2016 film by Christophe Gans (which by the way is spectacular!)
Translated by P.H. Muir
Alfred A. Knopf, 1968
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∞ Abebooks
Illustrated and translated from the French by Diane Goode
Peacocks are symbols of compassion and love, and I am struck with how similar the colors in Goode’s version display the jewel tones of peacock feathers throughout. Under the dust jacket you will find a beautiful embossing of a rose branch, and fleurs-de-lis adorn the endpapers. Hers has a French-court feeling to it, and the exquisite black and white line work crops up during real moments of tension (hint: look closely at Beast’s reflection on the dust jacket).
Bradbury Press, 1978
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∞ Abebooks
Hilary Knight
Known for his Eloise books authored by Kay Thompson, New York illustrator Hilary Knight’s illustrations are by no means a rare sight. However, his version of Beauty is a crown of achievement, a rare jewel of a book with its gorgeous art deco lines and tones. And just when you think it could not get any better comes the fantastic afterword by French director Jean Cocteau.
Knight’s is a Beast that is not so beastly, but rather like Pan, (who in Cupid and Psyche, convinced Psyche to fight for Cupid after she loses him) than animal, and Beauty is wonderfully elegant.
This version has become increasingly expensive, so I have listed it again below in the “For the Collector” section.
Translated by Richard Howard
Simon and Schuster Book for Young Reader, 1990
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∞ Abebooks
Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch's adaptation from 1910
Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch
*Original Illustrator
Edmund Dulac
(1882-1953)
I have included Arthur Quiller-Couch’s version in this explore because his version streamlines Villeneuve’s original, while adding even more visual to the story.
Moorish costume, Victorian fairytale elements and Japanese landscape meet and behold: I call this the “Istanbul” of Beauty and the Beast! The great Golden Age illustrator, Edmund Dulac, has created an Aladdin-like version of Beauty and the Beast to adorn Quiller-Couch’s slightly humorous retelling.
Gramercy Books, 1991 (Originally published as The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales from the Old French by Hodder and Stoughton, 1910)
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∞ Abebooks
Angel Dominguez
(1853 - 2021)
Angel Dominguez was self-taught and took much of his inspiration from Golden Age illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac.
His version of Beauty and the Beast reflects his Spanish heritage and is as gorgeous as they come, full of birds, fauna and flora set amongst the opulence with lovely Spanish flair.
Dominguez is one of my favorite illustrators, so much so that I did a tribute blog post on him and his illustrated classics, which you can see here.
First Racehorse for Young Readers, 2017
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Adapted Versions
The following are adapted from versions mentioned above, but also contain elements by Charles Lamb, Brothers Grimm, Andrew Lang and even the 1946 film by Jean Cocteau
*Early illustrator
Eleanor Vere Boyle
(1825-1916)
One of the first female artists to be recognized for her achievements, Eleanor Vere Boyle illustrates our tale with Pre-Raphaelite, glorious illustrations which beautifully capture the mystery and charm of the story.
Her illustrations originally accompanied a 57-page novella that she had also written. In hers, the family moves to a seaside tower after the loss of fortune, and hers is the only marine-influenced “Beast” that I have come across in this explore.
Adapted by Elizabeth Rudd
Hutchinson Children’s Books, 1988 (originally 1875)
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∞ Abebooks
Click here for her illustrated original version, recently re-published by Calla Editions
*Early Illustrator!
Walter Crane
(1845-1915)
Crane’s style is decorative, using very little white space. Rich color and decadent scenery feels as though you are strolling through Versailles.
Walter Crane’s artwork originally accompanied an over-simplified version of Beaumont’s adaption, where decoration, not writing, was the appeal. It was published the same year as Eleanor Vere Boyle’s rendition listed above, her artwork accompanying a much more in-depth tale. However, the book I have pictured and listed here, has Crane’s artwork placed among Andrew Lang’s adaptation, and I think it is wonderful!
There are four full-page illustrations and one double-page spread.
Adapted by Andrew Lang
This version published by The Planet, 2015 (originally 1875)
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∞ Abebooks
Gerry Embleton
I had to include this version because it is a feast for those who enjoy toadstools, gnarled trees with faces, gnomes, and other fantastical elements along those lines. This is a mysterious Beast, as we never get a proper view of him.
For a similar experience, try the version illustrated by John Patience (listed below in my “Other” section)- although it does not have Embleton’s “forest magic”, the Beast is visible and it has a very warm feel to it.
Retold by Kay Brown
Derrydale, 1968
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∞ Abebooks
Alan Barrett
With a background in costume and theatre design, Alan Barrett has created a days-of-yore gouache-illustrated version that gives the appearance of foreboding like none other. Shades of blue (a technique also used in Mercer Mayer’s version below) and lack of detail give a sense of looming magic, and round cameos give way to full page illustration as the story draws the reader in but reinserts the cameo frames at the end as the reader is pulled out again.
The writing by Tom’s Midnight Garden author Philippa Pearce is wonderful, and I love the new details she adds to the tale.
This is another version, like Michael Hague’s version below, where I see images that may have inspired the Disney animated film.
Retold by Philippa Pearce
Thomas Y. Crowell, 1972
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∞ Abebooks
Mercer Mayer
This masterpiece of a book has the most passionate moment of Beast and Beauty reconciliation than any other version I’ve come across – captured on the cover – as Beauty holds Beast and presses her face so lovingly against his.
Egyptian symbols are used throughout, with Anubis, god of the dead, appearing as a foreboding symbol throughout. Look in Beauty’s room and you will find Isis (top right), who brought Osiris back to life.
Color too, plays a big part…Beauty who is reds and golds is fused with Beasts melancholy shades of blue with him, at the end, draped in purple.
Retold by Marianna Mayer
Four Winds Press/Scholastic, 1978
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Errol Le Cain
Born in Singapore and having spent his childhood travelling through Japan, Hong Kong and Saigon, as well as a five-year stay in India, Errol Le Cain brings his unique experience into every scene, with the tender expression of the Beast complimenting Rosemary Harris’s exquisite retelling.
Retold by Rosemary Harris
Doubleday and Company, 1979
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∞ Abebooks
Yvette Santiago Banek
Please excuse me for a moment while I insert this Beauty and the Beast version from my childhood!
Remember those chimes that told you when to turn the page? Ah….Yvette Santiago Banek’s illustrations reveal an unforgettable beast of rainbow hair and a Barbie-like Beauty set amongst kinetic artwork.
Peter Pan “Read Along” Books & Records
Peter Pan Industries, 1981
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∞ Abebooks (None available at present)
Michael Hague
A rewriting combining Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film and the Beaumont version, this version decorated by Michael Hague is full of clever allusions to Greek mythologies. For example, Psyche, a character from a very early version of the Beauty and the Beast tale called Cupid and Psyche, is the Greek word for butterfly- many of which fly out of the chest Beast sends home with Father. Beast has his own secret garden, where a statue of Pan and a unicorn linger. Some of the images are dark and mottled in color – almost Gothic.
Retold by Deborah Apy
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983
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∞ Abebooks
Etienne Delessert
Swiss artist, Etienne Delessert’s version is a treat for lovers of surrealist, thought-provoking artwork. The Beast of this version is griffin-like, sometimes hideous, at other times sensitive.
Delessert designs his artwork to encourage children to ask questions, therefore expanding their interpretive interests.
If his style looks vaguely familiar to you, it may be because he has illustrated segments of Sesame Street!
(This one says that it is from the collection of Madame D’Aulnoy and nothing more. However, after reading it I see it is Andrew Langs’ adaptation).
Adapted by Andrew Lang
Creative Education Inc, 1984
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∞ Abebooks
Retold and illustrated by Warwick Hutton
(1939-1994)
Eastern splendors adorn this subtle, yet ornate, loneliest-of-all water colored version by British illustrator Warwick Hutton.
Light-filtered interiors create large amounts of space and his ability to capture depth using light and shadow along with his eye-drawing composition lead the reader to fall into his landscapes.
Notice the bones as Beauty’s father approaches Beasts domain…perhaps the remains of Beasts kills? And the snakes…again so subtle, but chilling once noticed.
(By the way, his version of The Tinderbox is the version I grew up with; discovering his Beauty and the Beast was a delight)!
Atheneum, 1985
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∞ Abebooks
Binette Schroeder
(1939-2022)
German illustrator Binette Schroeder’s fantasy-like landscapes remind me of Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story, and indeed she actually did illustrate one of Ende’s lesser-known works (The Shadow Sewing Machine, 1982)!
Extremely similar to Mme. Le Prince de Beaumont’s version. Portrait of her on title page, and Beauty has been illustrated to resemble Beaumont. Postscript has much info on history of tale.
Retold from French by Anne Carter
Clarkson N. Potter, 1986
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∞ Abebooks
Illustrations selected and arranged by Cooper Edens
I first came across Cooper Edens selected books while doing an illustrator explore for Peter Pan. In his version of Beauty and the Beast, Edens has yet again gathered a cacophony of illustrations, from classic illustrators such as Eleanor Vere Boyle, Walter Crane, and Edmund Dulac that I have pictured above, to Charles Robinson, Arthur Rackham and Margaret Evans Price. There are also many anonymous depictions.
No author’s name is distinctly given (I assume it is also authored by Cooper Edens?). However, it is based on Mme. Leprince de Beaumont’s adaptation.
The Green Tiger Press, 1989
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∞ Abebooks
Retold and illustrated by Carol Heyer
A richly-colored version which brings together the harmony and discord of the tale in a textured Elizabethan setting.
The only version I have seen with a winged-horse! Or, for that matter, a blue rose!
Carol Heyer’s Beast is so very expressive.
Ideals Children’s Books, 1989
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∞ Abebooks
Retold and illustrated by Jan Brett
Jan Brett modeled her Beast after Walter Crane’s version above, used tapestries inspired by William Morris, and, just when I was wondering if it would ever happen, used Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch’s version for inspiration. I love how the peacock is present in almost every picture, and, by examining the afore-mentioned tapestries, one can see that the gorgeous bird is actually the fairy.
Clarion Books, 1989
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Retold and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
(1935-2019)
Dramatic linework express tender emotions in this moving rendition by Mordicai Gerstein, who illustrated my son’s favorite book The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. With octopus-like chandeliers and swan-like dining chairs, his is a Beast’s castle of hybrid animals found on furniture and house fixtures, of labyrinths and halls watched over by Pan-like statues. However, what I admire most is that Gerstein has created Beast using the one bit of detailed description given to us in Villeneuve’s 1740 version described in this passage: “…with an air of fury, laid upon his neck a kind of trunk, resembling an elephant’s…”
E.P. Dutton, 1989
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Barbara Lanza
Barbara Lanza used the roses in her own garden while illustrating this magnificently written and beautifully illustrated version of what Lanza describes as her favorite fairy tale.
Retold by Della Rowland
Contemporary Books, 1990
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∞ Abebooks
Gary Blythe
Gary Blythe’s enigmatic scenes adorn a rendition which begins with the words: “Into a forest of fifty thousand trees rode a lone traveler”. This version cuts to the chase but makes up for it with dramatic (sometimes overly so) prose. Blythe’s Beast is perhaps the strangest of all, resembling the snout of the elephant’s trunk if looked on directly, (an elephant’s trunk is one of the few details provided in the original tale by Mme. Villeneuve), but he is also perhaps the handsomest of all princes once transformed – (sorry but no pictures of princes in this blog post)! Beauty is the girl-next-door. Father, and later, Beauty, enter Beast’s domain by way of a shard of mirror glass, and indeed this book is full of reflected elements. I love the world Blythe has created.
Retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
Carolrhoda Books Inc, 2000 (1999 in UK)
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∞ Abebooks
Angela Barrett
The version that made me cry.
Haunting illustration that both relax and torment the senses…. only the best of illustration could be paired with such beautiful writing in this version illustrated by Angela Barrett, who has illustrated several of the dark classics of Frankenstein and Dracula caliber for The Folio Society.
Retold by Max Eilenberg
Candlewick Press, 2006
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∞ Abebooks
Sarah Gibb
You may recognize British illustrator Sarah Gibb’s artwork from the Emily Windsnap series, among others. Additionally, she has illustrated many fairytales. Her style is wonderful: shadow and silhouette bring out rich hues, in this version’s case, a vibrant pink sets the mood, and her use of cross-sections to tell parts of the story intrigues the reader!
Retold by Ursula Jones (sister of Diana Wynne Jones who wrote Howl’s Moving Castle)
Albert Whitman & Company, 2012
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Pat Cummings
From husband and wife team comes this beautiful retelling inspired by the Dogon of Mali in West Africa, a mysterious peoples and culture themselves with their advanced knowledge of astronomy. Pat Cummings used watercolor, gouache, pencil, and pastel to create the vibrant patterns.
Retold by H. Chuku Lee
Harper Collins Childrens Books, 2014
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Kinuko Y. Craft
A gem amongst Beauty & the Beast retellings, Craft and her husband Mahlon have created a glorious work of art.
These illustrations are of the faerie world, with luna moths and golden steeds where reflection rules and Beauty gives her Beast a promise sealed with a golden locket. A masterpiece!
Retold by Mahlon F. Craft
HarperCollins Childrens Books, 2016
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Meg Park
Wow! This one achieves that sweet spot between eloquence and simplicity. The artwork is beautiful and appropriate for younger readers. However, it is the writing that makes this one really stand out!
Retold by Cynthia Rylant
Disney Hyperion, 2017
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Readers, Graphic Novel and Bilingual
Beauty and the Beast Read with Usborne retold by Susanna Davidson and Illustrated by John Joven
Beauty and the Beast Usborne Young Reading retold by Louie Stowell and Illustrated by Victor Tavares
Beauty and the Beast written by Jessica Gunderson, Illustrated by Thais Damiao
Adorable graphic novel with easy to read text. Story is fast-paced without losing the essence of the tale.
Published 2021 by Picture Window Books
Where to Find:
Beauty and the Beast A Modern Retelling by Jeanne-Marie LePrince, illustrated by Pete Katz
Beauty and the Beast - La Bella Y La Bestia adapted by Roser Ros and illustrated by Cristina Losantos
This bilingual Spanish/English version has a “Sunday Funnies” newspaper comic vibe! I love this series and included their The Little Mermaid in my explore of that title.
Published in 2017 by Chronicle Books
Where to Find:
For the Collector
Beauty and the Beast by Marie LePrince de Beaumont
Listed in detail above, this fantastic version is gaining in value and is currently available from $45 to just under $300 USD.
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1990
Others
Here are more Beauty and the Beasts that may spark your interest! Scroll right to see more! (The arrow is a bit faint)
Look for these on Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Alibris Books, Abebooks, or find them on internet archives or from your local bookstore or library!
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed exploring the various illustrated versions!
The roots of Beauty and the Beast can be traced to Greek, Roman, Egyptian and ancient Briton mythologies.
One of those roots was in the form of the only Roman novel surviving to present day: Apuleius’s The Golden Ass, which was written in the 2nd century CE (definitely NOT a book for children by the way). Within this novel, is the tale of Cupid and Psyche. This tale, in turn, is an adaptation of a Greek work, lost to us now, by Lucius.
Another influencer might have been the Scottish Ballad of Tam Lin, in which the picking of a rose summons a handsome prisoner of the Faerie Queen, Tam Lin, who can only be freed if his true love, Jennet (or some form of that name) holds on to him as he is changed into a serpent and then a lion, (beasts vary).
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For this post, I have left out illustrations from collections such as The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang or Grimms’ Fairytales, among others, with the idea that I will cover the illustrated versions of those collections in the future.