Honestly, I'd probably give this four stars if I didn't know the enormous positive effect this book had on animal rights, which earns it the extra star.

It's well-written, but I haven't read it for years and, now that I have reread it again, I remember why. I can't stand mistreatment of animals, and poor Beauty is mistreated over and over again. There's a happy ending, yes, but even as a child I thought it something of a cheat. More likely he'd end up like poor Ginger. It's an excellent book for promoting decent treatment of animals, but it does make me lie awake at night in a cold rage at how horrible humans can be.