Book Review: Black Beauty and Heidi by Rupa Publishers

Black Beauty- Anna Sewell & Heidi- Johanna Spyri

Publishers: Rupa Publishers

Black beauty and Heidi are the timeless children classics that teach the readers to be good to everyone, including the animals and also teach the meaning of real friendship. It is a great endeavour by Rupa Publishers that they have come up with the abridged version of these two stories.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell is considered to be the epitome that features talking animals. Personifying the otherwise mute beings, the author tries to project the harsh reality of animal welfare, how human exploit the animals for their own good. But just like every cloud has a silver lining, there are some people are gentle and humane. Black Beauty is the name of the horse who is the protagonist of the story. The story traces the life of this well-bred horse who is the son of a wise old mare, Duchess. He gets this name owing to his shiny black coat, a white star on his forehead and a single white hoof. He flies by the seat of his pants when he is sold to different owners and gets to know a wide range of human emotions and gets the experience of a lifetime. The story is didactic, for it shows the importance of being gentle with animals and treating them as equal.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri, on the other hand, explores the depth of friendship and happiness. Heidi is an ebullient and zestful girl who leads a complacent life. The story narrates her experiences as an orphan; it shows us the evolution of a young immature girl into a more seasoned and sophisticated girl. Her friends, Clara and Peter, remind you of your childhood friends. For children, this book is a remarkable feat! They realize the vital role friends play in life.

The books are the abridged version of the original but posses a better font and impressive narrative. It feels great to hold the classics in your hands as a fresh piece.

Good job Rupa!