Growing up, Belle was my favorite princess. She is smart, bookish, friendly, and (duh) she’s the one who got to wear the gorgeous yellow dress, my favorite color. So when I heard there was a series of twisted Disney tales, I automatically decided to pick Beauty and the Beast first.
This tale poses the question: what if Belle’s mother cursed the Beast? The first part of the book swaps back and forth by chapter between Belle (basically the start of the story we all know and love) and her mother and father, Rosalind and Maurice. The chapters by her parents give us some backstory about the Beast’s kingdom: how it was a refuge for les charmantes, which are people with extraordinary powers; how the king and queen were fearful of these les charmantes so they turned a blind eye when they were persecuted as an unwanted minority; how Belle’s mother, a powerful enchantress, tried to reason with them but failed and had to flee the country to protect Maurice and Belle. As Belle learns more about her mysterious mother, we are also learning bits and pieces about her too.
The story Belle tells stays mostly true to the original up until she leaves the castle to go save her father. From there on, there are some dramatic storyline changes, but overall it still stays true to the themes in the story. I feel like the story also gives a little more insight into Belle as a strong female lead and to the redemptive nature of the book. People make mistakes, but being willing to admit those mistakes and trying to fix them is the ultimate show of forgiveness.
For any Disney lovers or kids at heart, this book was a win for me! One caveat is these books are YA books and may be a little too intense for an elementary schooler. Just because the content revolves around a fairy tale doesn’t mean it’s all fluffy clouds and unicorns.
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