Beauty's first memories are of a large and pleasant meadow and his mother's hope that her son "will grow up gentle and good and never learn bad ways". Black Beauty's character is tested by the many hardships he experiences, but whether saving his comrades from a fire, racing to fetch help for his beloved mistress, or working as a London cab horse, his brave and loyal nature shines through. Black Beauty is a moving record of man's cruelty to animals, but above all an exciting adventure story. Published in 1877, Black Beauty has become one of the best-loved classics of children's literature.
This book is part of a book series called Kingfisher Classics .
There are 352 pages in this book. This book was published 2005 by Pan Macmillan .
Edith Nesbit was an English author and poet who published over 60 books of fiction for children under her pen name E. Nesbit. Anna Sewell (1820-78) was a British novelist. Black Beauty was her only published work. Russell Hoban was born in Pennsylvania. His books for adults include the modern classic Riddley Walker. He has written more than sixty picture books, including The Sea-thing Child, shortlisted for the 2000 Kate Greenaway Award, as well as the novel The Mouse and His Child. Ian Andrew has worked on numerous animated films, including Father Christmas and his own film, Dolphins, which won the First Bite Award in 1987. His book The Lion and the Mouse was shortlisted for the 1996 Mother Goose Award, and he has also illustrated the Walker picture book The Midnight Man, written by Berlie Doherty.
This book contains the following story:
Black Beauty
When he comes of age, the horse Black Beauty is sold to a grand house to be a carriage horse. The groom, Joe, is kind but his masters are cruel. Every day Beauty and his fellow horse, Ginger, are shackled to the carriage with a tight bearing rein to keep their heads held high, and the two horses are whipped and generally mistreated. When Ginger misbehaves she is taken away. When Beauty smashes his knee he is sold to a London cabby. Pulling a cab through all the weather is hard work but Jerry is kind to Beauty and he is happy. Then Jerry is offered a job as groom by a customer and has to sell Beauty. His next master is harsh and cruel. But then Black Beauty is rescued by a horse doctor and at the doctors stables he discovers that the groom is none other than Joe. Beauty lives out the rest of his life in the doctors fields, happy and cared for.
This book has been nominated for the following award:
Bbc Book Awards
This book was recognised in the Big Read Top 100 category by the Bbc Book Awards.
