Black Beauty (Picture Book)

This book possesses the rare quality of having a writing style that draws the reader in continuously. Sewell's ability to take the point of view of her equine characters and to describe their experiences in knowing detail is marvelous. The book suffers from an overly preachy tone at times, as there is only so much variety a horse can experience and thus the same types of scenarios seem to be gone over more than once. In places Sewell's Quaker faith is evident, as when she describes Old Captain's ambivalent feelings about war. In others, the debates on Christian morality that come before her characters are more likely to clash with some Christian readers' views. In particular, I did not follow the logic between successive chapters in which a character first refuses an entreaty to take work on a Sunday in order to drive a woman who is no longer able to walk to church, and then later accedes to his wife's request that he take another woman unable to walk the distance to go visit a dying relative on a Sunday. These episodes may find root in Sewell's own loss of mobility in life, but regardless, her theology is a bit questionable. She also seems to make no apologies for the character of Ginger "standing up for herself" through bad behaviour when mistreated, and allows the character to go on and on about how much better behaved she'd be if only others had treated her well. This novel thus strikes me as interesting and unusual in that it moves the reader to compassion for animal characters by endowing them with human-like emotional and mental capacities, but does not seem to hold them to the same moral standards of accountability or agency. The horses, thus, do not necessarily display in themselves a clear moral goal to which the young readers are expected to aspire. This does not make the book a bad one, but rather a more complex and interesting one, and while it is not a work I would give to young readers as a straightforward depiction of social equity and the obligations of man, it is definitely one worth leading young readers through with a critical, evaluative eye. A set of discussion questions and project ideas at the end of the Aladdin edition of this book may also help parents and teachers with this aim.

Since pictures & illustrations are as much a part of a child's imagination as the written word, then this book beautifully combines both, with the abundant B&W line illustrations by illustrator Lucy Kemp-Welch, in addition to the 12 colour plates included; all in keeping with the time period this novel is set in. A wonderful edition to any child's library.I've been reading horse-topic related books for as long as I can remember; but the very first horse story that left an indelible impression on me was ANNA SEWELL's "BLACK BEAUTY."It really openend my eyes to the abuse and cruelty, and majestic fraility that these wonderful creatures suffer at the hands of their human counterparts. Ms Sewell opted to write this book from "the horse's mouth" so to speak, and she was one of the very few authors that was able to pull this off with great success. This book also laid the cornerstone for the ASPCA aims and goals, and brought to light the conditions and treatment of working horses in 20th century London, England (and elsewhere ). The story is told of a horse's life; from start to finish; told with dignity and warmth, and serves as a successful analogy as to how humans should interact with one another. This book also laid the cornerstone for my interest and love of all things equine, and further fed my hunger to acquire as many horse books as an 11 year old could. From there, and I went on to read all of Walter Farley's "The Black Stallion" series (at one time, I owned all the hardcover editions), the Marguerite Henry books, and Enid Bagnold's "National Velvet"(which really wasn't about a horse per se), and anything else I could get my horse-hungry hands on! I now keep a copy of Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty" in my library at home, and have given a copy to my daughter to read. This is a tale that sensitizes the reader to the plight of horses at the hands of their human caregivers, trainers, breeders, riders, etc - all told from the horse's mouth.And lest we think the inhumane treatment of horses has abided since this book was written - one only has to follow the controversy surrounding the use of "Premarin", or the questionable training methods of gaited horses, or the exploitation of horses in the Thoroughbred racing industry, or the many abuses of rodeo, etc.There is much to be gleaned about the exploitation and abuse of animals from this book. All in all, this book will always remain a timeless classic.

A fascinating look into human behavior both good and bad."Through the eyes of Black Beauty, we observe the actions of human beings. The gallant horse is sold to many types of people. Some are good masters who treat Beauty with compassion and tenderness. Others are bad masters, who do not care if Beauty has enough food to eat or if he is too tired to be ridden."You know, this is one of my all-time favorite stories. When I was very young I had a cartoon version of this story that I watched constantly. I now own the live-action film. I know the story like the back of my had. But I'd never read the book... til now!Both utterly sad and depressing as well as joyous and triumphant, this book has an amazing story to tell. This is definitely one that pulls on your heart strings. Perfect for teens and young adult readers as well as adults. I highly recommend this classic tale to everyone who loves animals of any kind.

Get ready to cry - or, at least I did. Horses, heroism - what more can you ask for?

Black Beauty, a book that has sold millions of copies since it was first published in 1877, has gained somewhat curious status as a children's classic. The author originally wrote it as a work for adults to promote awareness of cruelty to horses. She succeeded in this when it became very popular soon after publication. It's the story of a horse who starts out his life well taken care of, but through circumstances beyond his control goes through a series of masters both kind and terrible.

Adults may find the author's message heavy-handed, but there are definitely a few gems, such as “...if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt,” and “...we have no right to distress any of God's creatures without a very good reason; we call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words.”

For many children this is their first horse book and they want their parents to read it to them over and over again. Other children, however, might be upset by the scenes of animal cruelty on the way to the happy ending. You know your child best, so adult guidance is suggested.

Wasn't a huge horse fan, but I did read this more than once when I was a tween.

Rereading for April/May Children's Books group. Got a very early edition from Open Library.

I am impressed, now that I have finished my reread, to see how Sewell tried to rub out the classism she saw around herself. Every person is an individual, and class & gender & age & money have little to do with whether they are good or bad people. Similarly, every horse is an individual, and all of them are capable of good behavior if only treated well. BB actually became wiser, because of his experiences, than his mother, who never did have to work as a cart horse nor was abused.

Highly recommended to all, not just children, and not just animal lovers or fans of history.

A short and very emotional novel, especially for anyone who loves animals.

I must admit that throughout most of the reading, despite it being a very good story, it wasn't a book that I adored; however, since it is a short novel, it was easy for me to read it all the way through, and it was precisely the ending that ended up moving me.

I cried, and I don’t know how I could have moved on to another book without knowing what happened to our beloved Azabache until the end. (Translated from Spanish)

A book that I read in elementary school, at first I didn't pay much attention to it, but as the story progressed, it became captivating; it immersed me in the story and I could feel the sentiment of the black beauty as it is named. It is a book that truly shows how it can go from being a small foal to becoming an impressive horse. This will always be a book I turn to when I don't know what to read anymore. (Translated from Spanish)

A great classic that is worth rereading. (Translated from Spanish)

A profoundly moving story, with nuances that will bring you tears and smiles, reveals the life of these noble beings. I recommend it to anyone who loves animals! (Translated from Spanish)

I can't read the book. (Translated from Spanish)

A great book that invites you to explore, from the peculiar perspective of a horse, the dark corners and the limits to where man can reach. (Translated from Spanish)

I read this book when I was young. I am still a horse lover. It was a favorite of mine due to the similarities between Black Beautys' life and my own. I now have 2 copies and am pleased with each. It shows how I have always viewed animals and the way they view us. Excellently written and the ebb and flow allows one to see the rhythm of life is similar for one and all.

This is the book that made me fall in love with reading, the first one that made me cry and touched my heart. (Translated from Spanish)

Excellent teen book

I always thought this was a children's book, but I now think it is a treatise on the ill use of horses in the time it was written.

I thought I had read this book as a child and in fact, as I began to read I remembered much of the story. As a child I either stopped reading midway through or blocked out the rest of the story, because it was rather tragic. The story was set in 19th century England, at a time when almost everyone came into frequent contact with horses. It is told from the narrative of Black Beauty, a noble stallion, who is bought and sold many times to various owners, and who treated their horses in various ways. Anna Sewell wrote this to illustrate the abuse of horses, in particulary the harsh use of the bearing rein. The bearing rein was used to get the horse's head arched, but made it difficult for the horse to breathe and near impossible for the horse to pull a carriage uphill. We meet other horses who share a stable, at various times, with Black Beauty and in some cases their demise which is quite painful. Of course at the end, Black Beauty ends up back with an earlier groom and lives his final years in happiness, but to get there, he endures much. I would suggest not necessarily a book for younger children, but a great read especially when you are trying to teach about proper treatment of animals.

Entertain (Translated from Spanish)

A book that showcases human attitudes and cruelties from the perspective of a horse, a beautiful story to learn from. (Translated from Spanish)

This was surprisingly good. A very nice story!

I can't even finish this thing. It is dull as dirt. I cannot imagine a child being captivated by this story. If this was my first novel as a child, I probably would never have picked up another. Sorry, I like literature for children, but this one didn't do it for me.

Read first time as an adult, a bit surprised at how morbid it is. Dawned on me that carousel horses look like they do because they most have been modeled on horses rigged with a bearing rein.

A fun trip through Victorian London through the eyes of a horse.

My mom gave me a copy that belonged to her grandfather when I started reading books like crazy during my last years of elementary school and the beginning of middle school. I would read it at night with my younger sister and I fell completely in love with it. It's simply a wonderful story, and anyone who can should take the time to read it. (Translated from Spanish)

The best story I've read narrated by a horse is a good book. (Translated from Spanish)

a very old version of this popular classic

I read this book as a child and thoroughly enjoyed it. Reading it again as an adult, I found I was just as engrossed and thrilled with the story.

This books introduces younger literary members to tragedy without making it traumatizing. By subtly introducing heartbreak and ending on an uplifting moment, the idea that not every story that takes a turn for the worse will stay that way. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

This book is a good book, but not great. It involves stories about horses that you might like.

"Black Beauty" was my favourite book as a child, but as an adult reader it has lost its appeal. I don't like animal narrators and Black Beauty was just too perfect for my liking. He never complained, nor did he protest at the treatment he often received from his human owners.

Throughout the book I found many parts slow and I thought Sewell's message was heavy handed. I'm not sure how a 21st century child would cope with this book. I suppose those who are horse crazy would enjoy it, but I think many children would struggle as it is so far removed from their reality. I regret having reread "Black Beauty" as it has now forever spoilt my childhood memories of this book.