Black Beauty (Illustrated by Robert L. Dickey)

This was a favorite book as a child, teenager, young adult and old adult... have read and re-read it many time and just bought it for my granddaughter. I hope it will instill in her the same love of horses and all creatures as it did for me so long ago.

Another of my favorite books from elementary school, purchased to share with my grandkids. They were a little too young (5 & 6 yrs.) to sit still for the entire story, but that was my fault (not the fault of the author!).

I have found that reading old stories is usually disastrous even if I have read them as a child because they are usually very boring and actually written for children not for adults. Anna Sewell's Black Beauty is what I call a timeless classic because it is just as a good a read now as it was when I was a child. It is written so that any age that can read the story. You love it as a child and as an adult.. I recommend this to everyone.

Black Beauty is a book worth reading. Great classic story.... There is only a couple horse books other than this that can even hold par..."Illustrated Junior Library" is one of the best compilations you can buy or find anywhere. There is a reason it has been published for decades. .. "illustrated Junior Library" is slightly abridged/condensed for a teenager audience. If you want the original in the old language with archaic slang and verse then look for an older edition, yet this is very close, but it's been edited from it's original to bring grammar to modern ages and appeal to teenage readers.

Bought this for the little daughters of the trainer who taught me how to ride. I paged through before gifting it to make sure it was OK for their age. The pictures are very well done. Some of the original gory Victorian animal abuse like blood-flecked foam flying from the horses' lips and "poor Ginger" lying dead in a rubbish cart has obviously not been included.

First of all this edition is beautiful. The cover is a real work of art!! We love this series by Penguin Classics.

And the book is such a great read. It handles respect, dignity, how to treat others, how to treat humans, and basic values in such a masterful way that children learn something valuable while enjoying a well-written story. This is a must-read for all.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am now almost 50 years old and have never been able to read about this brave and gallant horse. I am now relaxing at a resort and taking the time to catch up on all my readings. I could not put it down. If only some people were as kind and caring as they could be.

A Great book and so well written.

Black Beauty taught me many many things about taking care of a horse before I got my own horse. It is a riveting story with much practical horsemanship information included even though it was written in the Victorian era as a polemic against check reins and other human "vices" towards horse.

Great read! I loved it as a child and found it a great read again as an adult.

A cherished classic from the Victorian Era. As an English Major I have a whole new perspective on this novel than I once did, for Black Beauty is an authentic depiction of the treatment of animals during that era. Animals before were mainly seen as beast of burden, or submissive creatures beneath both God and man. However, the animal was coming into a new light, a light of intelligence and emotion, where-else before seen as simply dumb.
I won't bore you with all the historic significance of this novel, except that it turned many mind towards the well being of their animals and laws to be introduced for their health. Anna Sewell only book changed the world, alike to Charles Dickens 'Oliver Twist' to child labor, or Charlotte Brontë's 'Shirley' to feminism and the "women-question."

And any adult can enjoy Black Beauty, it is not a children's book but a masterpiece published to sway those who handled horses: "a special aim [was] to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses" - Anna Sewell. Also, a good companion to the unabridged classic is Warner Bros 1994 film starring Sean Bean (James Bond: Golden Eye, Game of Thrones), Andrew Knot (The Secret Garden), and David Thewlis (Harry Potter as Professor Lupin, Fargo), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey, Knightfall). It follows the book pretty well, with a few deviations (that I will not spoil for you).

Concerning the Scholastic Classics 2001 Edition, each chapter contain a lovely, detailed image with a few, smaller images here and there throughout the novel. Growing-up with this edition I felt the need to re-purchase it after losing my original copy. This edition is unabridged and has a green cover with an introduction by Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted.

Black Beauty is a classic, for teen agers and young adults. It is a permanent part of my library. A friend from Indonesia is now learning English, and Black Beauty is part of her reading to learn the language while enjoying a marvelous book.