Beauty and the Squat Bears has fun with fairy tales as the bears are stuck with a princess who can't work (she can only marry a prince, after all), have to deal with too many Prince Charmings, and butt heads with a fairy godmother who's just plain tired after taking care of princess all day.
The third book in a series about the bears, Beauty and the Squat Bears is written and drawn by French comics creator Emile Bravo. All three of the picture books are released in English by the publisher Yen Press.
Funny Fractured Fairy Tale with Beauty and the Squat Bears
Beauty and the Squat Bears is rife with deadpan humor, but there's not much in this story that would go over a child's head. Any level of knowledge about fairy tales and princess helps bring the laughs. Characters bicker over who deserves the title of Prince Charming, and the bears' reactions to typical fairy tale plots (they tell Snow White "We don't have any money!" when she tries to enter their house, and grumble about finding a prince) give a good-natured poke at the silliness of some of these stories.
Even if children might not completely understand a joke, like when the offended fairy godmother turns all the princes into pigs, the humor works on different levels so that they'll still get a laugh out of it. Adults will have a blast reading Bravo's witty book with their kids, and both will chuckle at the final joke when the godmother transforms the bears' piggy bank into a "hypnotizing object" – a TV.
Comic Artist Emile Bravo's Picture Book Art in The Squat Bears
Bravo's drawings are filled with rich colors that make his pictures pop. While there are plenty of full-page illustrations, Beauty and the Squat Bears crosses into the realm of comics with paneled pages and dialogue bubbles to bring the story to life. There's never a page setup more complicated than four even panels, making the book a great early look at sequential art for kids.
The short, boxy bears are cute, though not quite cuddly with their confused or surly expressions. Emile Bravo does great work with his designs for the princes and princesses as well, but he's the best with creatures, as he shows when they encounter a prince cursed to look like a beast. Backgrounds are worth watching in this story, too, as he adds little stories like Cinderella's carriage, drivers, and horses turning into a pumpkin, lizards and rats.
Beauty and the Squat Bears by Emile Bravo
If your children are fans of fairy tales or Disney movies, Beauty and the Squat Bears is an entertaining, vividly colored picture book that they're sure to get a kick out of. And even if you don't have kids, Emile Bravo's fractured fairy tale is so funny and smart that you'll probably still want to grab a copy for yourself.
- ISBN: 9780316083621
- MSRP: $14.99
- Released on May 24, 2011
- 48 pages
- Published by Yen Press
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