France’s Education Ministry has canceled a planned distribution of 900,000 copies of a modern twist on the classic fairytale “Beauty and the Beast.”
The decision came just before printing started, shocking the book’s creator and raising questions about fairytale updates in today’s climate.
Cartoonist Julien Berjeaut, known as Jul, had been commissioned to create an updated version of the 18th-century story for France’s “A Book for the Holidays” program.
This yearly project gives books to children finishing primary school before they head off to summer break.
The ministry changed its mind at the eleventh hour. The book even had a glowing foreword from Education Minister Élisabeth Borne herself.
Too Complex for Young Readers Without Guidance
The Education Ministry claimed the book wasn’t fit for its young audience. Officials worried about themes like social media, alcohol, and nuanced social realities.
In Jul’s update, Belle had brown skin and black curly hair. Her father came from Algeria and got into trouble with the law. One scene showed him tipsy with a wine bottle, singing a popular French song.
"It's a modern rewriting. We have a father coming from Algeria, who must have committed fraud and is stopped by police," Minister Borne explained. "With teachers, we could talk through this. But this book is meant for holiday reading with family."
The Beast looked like a furry ball with big teeth. Belle’s sisters spent all their time on smartphones.
Artist Hits Back at Last-Minute Decision
Jul did not take the news lying down.
He called the cancellation "the biggest case of censorship ever seen in French publishing."
The artist threw down the gauntlet, suggesting the real issue wasn’t the content but the characters’ looks.
"The only reason I can think of [for the cancelling] is the disgust some people felt at seeing princes and princesses who look a bit more like actual schoolchildren of today," Jul told Le Monde.
Jul went further, linking the decision to right-wing thinking. He asked if “the ‘great replacement’ of blonde princesses by young Mediterranean girls” was too much for the ministry.
The artist stood his ground about his work. “All I’m doing is showing the 18th-century text, which has the princess’s father drinking too much wine,” Jul pointed out.
The Broader Battle Over Storybook Updates
This row takes place amid wider talks about updating classic stories.
Disney has faced much pushback for its changes to old favourites.
The upcoming Snow White remake stars Rachel Zegler and has swapped the seven dwarfs for “magical creatures” of all types.
Zegler has said the new version will be less about Snow White finding a prince and more about her becoming a “leader.”
Jul drew a line between France's actions and those in the United States. "Why look at Donald Trump with alarm, when we are step by step heading down the same path?" the artist asked.
The publisher, Grand Palais-RMN Editions, has vowed to print the book anyway, but not under the government program.
Meanwhile, French children will miss out on their summer beauty and the beast story altogether.
When all is said and done, this tale as old as time has thrown new light on how we tell stories today – and who gets to decide which versions children should see.
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