In France, the French National Education Department has cancelled an order for 800,000 copies of a modern reinterpretation of Beauty and the Beast, illustrated by Jul as part of the “A Book for the Holidays“ operation. A practical decision for the government, but a political one for the artist of Silex and the City, who denounces censorship of his work.
Too mature for CM2?
Jul's comic strip represented a significant commission for the artist, since it was intended for be offered to all CM2 students at the start of the school year in September 2025. A significant loss of earnings for the author, but a pragmatic decision, assured the Minister of National Education Elisabeth Borne on Europe 1. According to her, the subjects covered by the book would not be suitable for 10-year-old students. If the politician assures that “it is a very beautiful book that can be used in another context“, she believes that “the irony, the second degree” of this modern rewriting requires “pedagogical support“. Incompatible with the “A book for the holidays“ operation, which, as its name suggests, aims to encourage students to read independently outside of school hours.
Among the arguments that motivated this decision, the ministry details certain “themes that would be suitable for older students, at the end of middle school or at the beginning of high school, such as alcohol, social networks, or even complex social realities. As a result, while the book may find its place on the shelves of traditional bookstores, it will not benefit from widespread distribution among French schoolchildren.
A "political censorship"?
For his part, the author denounces a "censorship" and a "political decision", suggesting that the more diverse representation of the characters could be the real reason for this cancellation. In addition to featuring alcohol, social media, and modern social realities, the book shapes a new approach to classic tales, while modernizing and diversifying the educational content.
What's in the book?
Belle, a young girl of Mediterranean descent, is crazy about El Mordjene spread, is passionate about both the harpsichord and books about rapper Dr. Dre, and trades princess dresses for jogging pants. Her father, a loving and ruined merchant, controlled by the authorities when he receives counterfeits from Algeria. Rather than looking at himself in a magic mirror, the heroine communicates with his father on Zoom.
A worrying parallel with the United States
The situation in France sadly echoes the wave of censorship currently affecting the American education system. Several thousand books have been banned from public schools and libraries in recent years, ranging from J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye to Fahrenheit 451 (set in a dystopian world where books are burned) to Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, popularized with the general public in 2017 with the series The Handmaid's Tale. In France, and although the incident is worrying, it is not part of such a systematic trend.
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