This is one of my favorite pages from the Mercer Mayer retelling. I love how he can capture passion, this man who draws small furry creatures. It is a charming picture book.
One of the reasons I have always been drawn to this story is that Beauty and her Beast become part of the other. Their happiness is tied to the soul of the other. They are drawn to each other even as they are compelled apart by their own experiences of adversity. I think I love it most because each sees the other as precious: a pure gem in the weeds of the world.
I have to be honest though. Sometimes at the end when the beast turns back into the human prince I feel a bit betrayed. The whole point was that she loved the Beast. And now she has to deal with someone she doesn't know again. It is a tidy little package of "if you see past the exterior you will always get a Prince." The Beast never stopped being a Prince, he became his best self as the Beast.
Anyway, sometimes I argue with myself about this. There are some awesome re-tellings that I read just about every year. Beauty and Rose Daughter by Robin Mckinley, Belle by Cameron Dokey, Beastly by Alex Flin. There are others out there. Go find them.