I recently finished a prose version of this tale that was by Sara and Stephen Corrin and was illustrated by Errol Le Cain, and I really loved it. I’m about to read another prose edition that’s by Robert Holden and illustrated by Drahos Zak.

This book is the famous poem by Robert Browning and it’s illustrated by Kate Greenaway. I’d thought I’d grown up with the poem but now I know that I was mistaken. I did grow up with a song (that record is in a box that’s not readily accessible) and the lyrics and tune were very catchy. I did grow up with the story too; I now am assuming that it was the Grimm Brothers version.

I’ve always been fascinated by this story but I was not favorably impressed with this poem. I do not think I’d have at all enjoyed it as a child and even now I prefer this tale told in story form.

The Kate Greenaway illustrations were colorful but the paintings seemed to encompass different styles, some of which I loved and some of which I thought were just okay.