Black Beauty

May 2, 2005
This graphic novel adapts the classic children's story of a horse whose gentle nature triumphs over abuse and misfortune. Anna Sewell's original remains beloved to preteen girls in particular, not just for the adventures Black Beauty goes through, but also for Sewell's lyrical descriptions of a past era. Husband-and-wife team Brigman and Richardson do a wonderful job illustrating that period, with b&w drawings that pop off the page and give readers an excellent sense of place as well as time. Unfortunately hamstrung by having to shorten a story that spans many years, they have had to cut all of Sewell's descriptions and most of her transitions, leaving short, choppy chapters that represent information rather than tell a story. Sewell originally wrote the story to expose mistreatment of animals in her society, and the cuts leave the adaptation sounding a bit preachy and repetitive. The spirit of the author's brave horse still comes through, as Black Beauty describes his different masters and the other horses he meets in his life. This should be a hit with horse lovers still too young for the original.

October 10, 2016
In a brisk adaptation of Anna Sewell’s 1877 animal story, Black Beauty recounts his early life on a farm and the accident that leads him to become a work horse in London, where he is abused by his masters. Brown illustrates in a rich, pastoral style, capturing pivotal events that include a frightening barn fire and Black Beauty’s collapse on cobblestone streets. Though Brown’s adaptation moves quickly through the horse’s many travails, her injuries and mistreatments still strike their intended emotional chords, making her eventual reunion with the kindly groom Joe Green in the bucolic final pages feel very well-deserved. Ages 4–9.

payton1403 - The captivating classic, Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell, was the very first book ever written from a horse’s perspective. Created in the 1800 hundred’s, Black Beauty is still being read and cherished centuries beyond. The genre is realistic fiction, classic literature, and historical fiction (if you were to be reading it far past the day it was written). With clear writing and lots of action, Black Beauty is nothing under a 10/10. He was born as “Darkie”, on a small farm in England, in the country. After maturing, he received the name Black Beauty. His mother taught him how to please an owner and carry class. She never told him much about her, so later on, he regretted not knowing her well enough. For example, the book says that “...old Duchess was the mother of them both.” That meant that the horse killed in a hunting accident was a secret brother to Black Beauty and that Duchess kept it a secret from her son. Some of the main characters are Merrylegs, Ginger, and Duchess. Merrylegs is described the most as a “...grey horse with a thick body, and a favorite of the family.” Merrylegs is a very special character and influence to Black Beauty because when he losses his mom, he teaches him important life lessons. The whole structure if Black Beauty is a life that faces the hardest times, but keeps preserving to find his way back home. Also, a similar story from an animal's perspective is a Dog’s Purpose. That book is about a dog’s life journey and why the way he is. The type of person interested in this book would be someone with a passion for animals and a taste in adventure. This a very good book that doesn't just have words written of two hundred and something pages. It has meaning.