Fiction - Children's Classics, Fiction - Animals - Mammals, Fiction - General & Miscellaneous

Black Beauty

Name: Black Beauty
Author: Cathy East Dubowski
ISBN: 9780679803706

by Cathy East Dubowski, Domenick D'Andrea (Illustrator), Anna Sewell

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Overview

The bittersweet saga of the handsome colt that is wrenched from a happy country home and almost worked to death as a London cab horse is adapted for easy reading. Large type, short chapters, and expressive art make this a must for all animal lovers.

Synopsis

Black Beauty is a well-born colt living in a pleasant meadow with an elegant carriage horse. But fortune changes and he experiences both gentle and cruel masters as he travels through Victorian London.

Children's Literature

This summary of the Black Beauty story is profusely illustrated with full-color drawings of horses, clothing, and artifacts of Victorian England. An introduction explains the context of the story and its impact on the care and treatment of horses. Ten short chapters follow, carefully capturing the essence of the original book. Sidebars feature photographs and illustrations with descriptions of words and terms that may not be familiar to young readers. A glossary in the back contributes to further understanding. Some biographical information about Sewell is included. This is a good introduction to both the study of horses and the enjoyment of horse stories. 2000, DK, Ages 7 to 10, $12.95 and $3.95. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer

About the Author, Cathy East Dubowski

Anna Sewell was born in 1820 in Norfolk, England. Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse was published in 1877; Sewell died in 1878. It was her only book.

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Editorials

Children's Literature - Children's Literature

VOYA

The historical sidebars in Black Beauty mostly deal with what English life in the nineteenth century was like, but a few specifically deal with horses. They can be distracting if you're trying to follow the story. Unless you're really interested in details of that time period, don't think that this book is any better than another version, although the illustrations might make it easier for younger readers to enjoy, $17.99 Trade pb. Illus. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P M (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2000, Viking/Penguin Putnam, 208p, $25.99. Ages 11 to 14. Reviewer: Kristen Moreland, Teen Reviewer SOURCE: VOYA, February 2002 (Vol. 24, No.6)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-Anna Sewell's classic novel begins with Black Beauty's early days as a colt at his mother's side and follows him through each of his masters and jobs. It is written in a charmingly sophisticated voice that is easier for listeners to understand than to read; the language, tone, and sentence structure are a bit antiquated, suiting the time period in which the story was first published in 1877. Moral lessons are abundant in this tale told from the horse's point of view. A great deal of information about the nature and abilities of horses is imparted in a surprisingly grim first person narrative. The casual cruelty of man toward beast is expounded throughout the captivating story. Each character, man or horse, is compellingly and earnestly voiced by narrator Simon Vance. Sure to be popular with horse lovers.-Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.