Anna Sewell

Ladybird Ladybird

This Ladybird Classic is an abridged retelling of the classic story of Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, making it perfect for introducing the story to younger children, or for newly confident readers to tackle alone. Beautiful new illustrations throughout and a gorgeous larger format with ribbon marker bring the magic of this classic horse story to a new generation of children.

Black Beauty

One of the most beloved horse stories of all time, with an introduction by Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine. As a young horse, Black Beauty is well-loved and happy. But when his owner is forced to sell him, his life changes drastically. He has many new owners--some of them cruel and some of them kind. All he needs is someone to love him again... Whether pulling an elegant carriage or a ramshackle cab, Black Beauty tries to live as best he can. This is his amazing story, told as only he could tell it.

Michal Stone

I love this book!! I've read it twice, and I loved it each time!!!!

A horse in nineteenth-century England recounts his experiences with both good and bad masters.

The Autobiography of a Horse

Margaret Sh.

Barbara Williford

“If we see cruelty and wrong that we have the power to stop and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt.” ~Black Beauty

I’m embarrassed to say that I have never read Black Beauty until now. What an emotional book. Written from the view point of a horse, you take a journey into his long life and the lives of other horses. From loving owners to cruel abusers. It does make you think about how we treat animals. It was a wholesome book with situations that make you go hmmm.

Georgia Carr

I have so many editions of this book and I absolutely adore it. A beautiful, heartwarming story.

Harriet Moar-Smith

I had this read to me as a child and when I went on holiday I forgot this book and I had to get my dad (who stayed at home) to read it down the phone so I could go to sleep. I loved it. It was amazing.

Horses, hope, and heartbreak. Come with Beauty on the journey of a lifetime. There's hardship and friendship, kindness and cruelty, but above all else, love. Oxford Children's Classics present not only the original and unabridged story of Black Beauty in a beautiful new edition, but also help you to discover a whole world of new adventures with a vast assortment of recommendations and activities.

Nicole Lucy O'Loughlin

I listened to this book on audiobook and it's the first audiobook I've listened to and been able to maintain my focus. And you know what? I'm glad I did! This was a great story, perfect for children but written in such a way that it can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter what your age may be. I loved the story and I was so scared for Beauty in some parts. As an animal lover this book angered me in parts, hated hearing how creatures were mistreated and unfairly used but the book also gave me hope, that the world is filled with good and caring people who will help wherever they can, whether it is man or beast that needs their help.

Judy Hudgins

One of the first books I remember reading and owning. My copy fell apart over the years. I just found the exact same edition I originally read in the used book store. Now to share with my grand daughter.

What more could I want? Why, liberty! Black Beauty is born in a beautiful meadow and cared for by gentle humans. But life takes him far from home, from the stable of a gentleman, to gruelling work as a cab horse in the city. Where will Black Beauty's journey lead him next? And is there anyone he can truly trust? Black Beauty's timeless tale will enchant a new generation of children in this beautiful edition.

Faber Children's Classics

Mina

Black Beauty is a classical novel written by Anna Sewell from the perspective of a horse telling about the different stages of his life; as a young colt being broken in and then being sold to different owners and going to different places. The horse talks about his occupations that he has had to do throughout his life and the joys and struggles that came with it. We learn how different horses are affected by certain methods and come to see the sad truth of how often these creatures are mistreated and sometimes downright abused. 

Black Beauty is a rather calm horse that had the fortune of starting his life under much better conditions than most horses. Whenever he is in the care of a good person that understands horses well we see him thrive and be very willing to give his best to do his job right and please his master. And even at other times when he is cruelly being overworked he keeps pushing his limits which unfortunately often is unnoticed by the humans.

Reading this book will give you a better understanding of what horses had to endure specifically in the 18th century. You will see that many people lacked any sympathy for horses and expected them to function like a machine. One can only imagine how much the popularity of this book has increased the understanding of how horses deserve to be handled over time and the positive influence the book has had.

Jolie

Jana 

Victoria Maier 

Emily

Karolina Södergren

Discover the classic story of a beautiful horse with an unbreakable spirit. One of the best loved animal stories ever written, the dramatic and heartwarming Black Beauty is told by the magnificent horse itself, from idyllic days on a country squire's estate to a harsh fate as a London cab horse. No one can ever forget the gallant Black Beauty, a horse with a white star on its forehead and a heart of unyielding courage. Filled with vivid anecdotes about animal intelligence, the novel derives a special magic from the author's love for all creatures, apparent on every page. But the book's lasting impact comes from its moving depiction of a human society struggling to find the goodness within itself, and its pleas for kindness to all creatures, great and small—a message so powerful that this favorite classic began a crusade for animal rights that continues today.

Black Beauty

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