Block, F. L. (2000). The
rose and the beast: fairy tales retold. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Reading Level: 710L
Interest Level: Grades 7 - 9Francisca Lia Block reimagines several popular fairy tales in this compact compilation. The list includes Snow White (“Snow”), Thumbelina (“Tiny”), and Cinderella (“Glass”), among several others. This is a quick read with a lot of quirky elements: for example, in “Snow,” Snow White’s prince is also her stepfather, and she rejects him in favor of the fraternal familiarity of the Seven Dwarves. Block brings her signature sparkly style to the work, fitting in phrases such as, “The mother looked like a broken rose bush,” and, “The night was blue, like drowning in a cocktail.” If you wanted to use “The Rose and the Beast” in the classroom, I’d suggest Xeroxing one of the chapters (each is very short) for use in comparison to another version of the tale as a compare-and-contrast exercise.
