French Ministry of Education cancels retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast' deemed 'inappropriate'

The French Ministry of Education has cancelled an order for a modernised illustrated version of "Beauty and the Beast" intended for 10-year-old children, after it was deemed inappropriate.

The government had commissioned the new rendition of the popular fairytale as part of its annual “A book for the holidays” campaign, through which 800,000 pupils receive a copy of an updated literary classic to read over the summer.

This year, the task had fallen upon cartoonist Jul, famous for his animated TV series Silex and the City and for his work as the latest writer of the Lucky Luke comics.

The book was ready for its first print run and even included an enthusiastic preface from Education minister Élisabeth Borne.

“In this version, created specifically for you, you'll discover Jul's mischievous style and sharp eye, which bring a modern turn to this tale”, she wrote to the students.

However, the ministry backpedalled in a letter sent to the author on Monday.

“The finished book is not suitable for independent reading, at home, with the family and without the guidance of teachers, for pupils aged 10 to 11” and “could raise a number of questions among students that would not necessarily be answered appropriately,” the letter stated.

The ministry specifically targeted mentions of social media and alcohol in the story. In Jul’s take on the 1796 tale, the father of the princess is represented with a bottle in his hand. Visibly drunk, he sings the popular French hit by Michel Sardou, 'Les Lacs du Connemara'.

“Jul has a lot of talent. He uses irony and humour to great effect. But without guidance, I don't think it's appropriate” for 10-year-old children, Borne reacted on CNEWS.

Jul denounced a “censorship” based on “false pretexts.” For him, the real issue lies elsewhere. In his version, Beauty has brown skin and black curly hair. Her family has roots in Algeria, and the story addresses questions of immigration and integration.

"The only explanation seems to come from the disgust at seeing a world of princes and princesses that look a little more like the world of today's schoolchildren," the author said.

“Could the ‘great replacement’ of blonde princesses by young Mediterranean girls be the limit that the ministry's Versailles-based administration must not cross?”, he added, referencing the far-right conspiracy theory that gained traction in France since the 2022 presidential election campaign.

This late turn of event makes it unlikely for the 800,000 pupils to receive a book this summer.

Launched in 2017, “A book for the holidays” has previously provided students with updated versions of La Fontaine’s "Fables", Homer’s "The Odyssey" and Jean Giono’s "The Man Who Planted Trees".