Donna Jo Napoli is the acclaimed and award-winning author of many novels, both fantasies and contemporary stories. She won the Golden Kite Award for Stones in Water in 1997. Her novel Zel was named an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, a Publishers Weekly Best Book, a Bulletin Blue Ribbon, and a School Library Journal Best Book, and a number of her novels have been selected as ALA Best Books. She is a professor of linguistics at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband. Visit her at DonnaJoNapoli.com.
The New York Times Book Review Sophisticated.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review Exotic...compelling, relentless.
School Library Journal, starred review An elegantly sensual
retelling of "Beauty and the Beast."
Booklist A winning version for genre fans.
Voice of Youth Advocates An engaging novel that takes the familiar
story and adds a whole new depth to it....It will be hard to keep
Beast on the shelf.
The New York Times Book Review Sophisticated.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review Exotic...compelling,
relentless.
School Library Journal, starred review An elegantly sensual
retelling of "Beauty and the Beast."
Booklist A winning version for genre fans.
Voice of Youth Advocates An engaging novel that takes the
familiar story and adds a whole new depth to it....It will be hard
to keep Beast on the shelf.
Gr 8 Up-Orasmyn, a sensitive Persian prince, becomes the Beast in Donna Jo Napoli's inventive retelling of the fairy tale that explore the relationship between a beast and a beauty (Atheneum, 2000). In this case, Orasmyn tells about the enchantress who turned him into a lion, leaving home, and his struggles in the wilds of Iran and India. Eventually, he travels cross-country to France with the hope of finding a true love who will break the spell. Images, both sensual and violent, convey the realities of his predator's life. There are also parallels to real-life love stories as the lion tries to relate to Belle, the brave young woman who restores his humanity. Those unfamiliar with Islamic and Persian terms and practices may find some passages challenging, but the new vocabulary offers opportunities to learn about other cultures. Robert Ramirez's measured, low-key delivery is a good match for the concisely modulated text. The unique focus of this recording makes it useful for libraries seeking to expand culturally diverse audiobook collections, but listeners may need supporting materials to get the most from this intriguing tale.-Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
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