Beast

Napoli, Donna Jo. Beast. ISBN-10: 0689870051, ISBN-13: 9780689870057. Simon Pulse. 2004.

Summary
In Beast, we see that the prince of Persia has made a bad choice on the Day of Sacrifices and a fairy turns him into a beast. This retelling of the The Beauty and The Beast fairy tale is made fresh because it is told through the eyes of the beast, the heir to the Persian throne. His journey through the Middle East and into France includes his efforts to embrace his life of a beast. This proves complicated because his mind is still that of an Islamic man, and he struggles to stay true to those moral principles. The end of his travels bring him to find an abandoned chateau in France, where he plants a rose garden and waits for a woman come to love him. But who can love a beast?

Critical Evaluation
Mixing Persian settings, Islamic moral codes and the beautiful fairy tale of The Beauty and the Beast, Napoli weaves an inspired retelling from the beast's point of view. The readers get to see first-hand how Prince Orasmyn is changed as a result of a fairy's punishment, his outward journey to the safety to the French chateau and his inward journey as an Islamic man trapped in a lion's body, as well as preparing himself for the woman—he hopes—who will come love him to set him free. Although the book is appropriate for younger readers, older readers will have the patience to relish in the story

Reader's Annotation
Prince Orasmyn has made a terrible choice on the Day of Sacrifies, and is punished by a fairy. He's been turned into a beast until the love of a woman can break the spell. Donna Jo Napoli rebuilds this traditional tale with the opulence of Persian and Islamic cultures.

About the Author
The Pennsylvania author, Donna Jo Napoli holds degrees in mathematics (BA) and romance languages (PhD) from Harvard, and has taught linguistics at several institutions over the years. In additions to gaining degrees, teaching, and writing and speaking on the topic of linguistics, she has written over 50 books for children of all ages—19 specifically for young adults.

Genre
Myth, Legends, Fairy Tales
Historical

Challenges
Sexual Content

Curriculum Ties
Sociology/Religions: the conflict an Islamic man would have as living as a lion
English: traditional fairy tales
English: rewriting of fairy tales
Geography: Persia

Booktalking Ideas
When you think about The Beauty and the Beast, do you think about the beast or the beauty's point of view…
What if you were a vegetarian, and were transformed into a carnivorous beast with your human powers of reason and reckoning—how would you handle a hungry tummy…

Awards
Carolyn W. Field Honor Book Award from the Pennsylvania Library Association

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+

Why I included this title...
I'm a newly devoted fan to Napoli, and a long-time fan of the tale of The Beauty and the Beast.

Bound

Napoli, Donna Jo. Bound. ISBN-10: 0689861788, ISBN-13: 9780689861789. Simon Pulse. 2006.

Summary
Bound is a beautiful retelling of the classic Cinderella fairy tale with a Chinese twist. Xing Xing has been orphaned, and is now a slave girl to her stepmother and her big-footed half-sister. The sister, Wei Ping, has just begun the painful tradition of foot binding to prepare for marriage. Because no cares if Xing Xing gets married, she is spared this treatment. During her daily slave girl duties, Xing Xing speaks to the spirit of her mother, who she believes is watching over her while inhabiting the body of a fish. When Stepmother kills the fish, Xing Xing wants to keep the bones, yet they must be hidden. In the same bone hiding place, she finds a beautiful gown and slippers that once belonged to her mother. She wears the the striking gown and slippers to a local festival, where she sadly loses a slipper in her efforts to escape notice. The slipper ends up with a prince who searches the land looking for the owner. Xing Xing is then able to decide her own fate and future… and is bound to no one.

Critical Evaluation
There are many tellings of the Cinderella fairy tale, and Napoli does a great job incorporating the historical facts of the Ming dynasty to create a touching tale. She creates a very likable Xing Xing, who is orphaned and left to the mercy of her stepmother and half-sister. In her bleak life, she seeks guidance and love from a beautiful fish that she thinks is the spirit of her dead mother. Readers will maybe make the connection of the spirit of her mother and the idea of the fairy god-mother. The story will certainly be recognizable by the classic threads of Xing Xing finding a well-hidden gown and slippers that belonged to her mother, especially when she loses a slipper while she's trying to avoid Stepmother at a festival. Readers will also celebrate when Xing Xing will find herself loved, valued and free from her bindings.

Reader's Annotation
Napoli has taken the Cinderella story to China, and has given us Xing Xing, an evil stepmother and a big-footed half-sister.

About the Author
The Pennsylvania author, Donna Jo Napoli holds degrees in mathematics (BA) and romance languages (PhD) from Harvard, and has taught linguistics at several institutions over the years. In additions to gaining degrees, teaching, and writing and speaking on the topic of linguistics, she has written over 50 books for children of all ages—19 specifically for young adults.

Genre
Myth, Legends, Fairy Tales
Historical

Challenges
n/a

Curriculum Ties
Sociology: the traditions of Chinese foot binding
English: traditional fairy tales
English: rewriting of fairy tales
History: Ming Dynasty
Booktalking Ideas
Do you believe in the spirits of your favorite people watching over you and guiding your life today…
If you rewrote the Cinderella, how would you change it…

Awards
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+

Why I included this title...
After reading Hush, I'm a newly devoted fan to Napoli.