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Tales of Peter Rabbit
Written and Illustrated by Beatrix Potter
"'Now my dears,' said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, 'you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden...'"
Like Winnie the Pooh, the stories of Peter, Benjamin, Flopsy, Mopsy, Jemima, Miss Moppet and their friends are enjoying a resurrgance of popularity. The beauty of the watercolors and the delightful stories are being introduced to a new generation of children while toys, books and other items are being repackaged into collectors' items. The stories are brilliantly produced so that they can be read seperately or can play off each other. They are short, sweet, and engaging; and while they reflect the early 20th century in tone and look, the lessons within are timeless.
The Story: The stories, 23 in all, involve animals such as Benjamin Bunny and Jemima Puddle-duck in little tales with moral lessons. The most famousof these is The Tale of Peter Rabbit, a story about a bad little bunny who keeps getting into Mr. McGregor's garden and nearly escapes with his life. Other tales are that of Squirrel Nutkin, who liked to make up rhymes; Mr. Jeremy Fisher, who caught a "stickley" surprise; and Tom Kitten, whose clothes didn't quite fit. Mr. Gregor is a recurring character in the books, and the animals themselves grow up and make reappearances. They talk, work, dress, and play like humans, but their personality and character is all animal. The edition pictured above has all 23 little tales, as well as Potter's other works like nursery rhymes and fables.
The Author: Born in 1866, Potter led the typical English Victorian childhood life of tutors, governesses, and loneliness. Her playthings were the pet animals, prime inspirations for her later stories. She had some success with greeting cards early in her career; The Tale of Peter Rabbit was born as a letter to the son of her former governess. She had such fun with that letter that she expanded it into a picture book, and by 1902 it was published. Her pets continued to be an inspiration to her, and the stories are often dedicated to them or in their memory. She continued to crank out other stories until 1910, when the fast pace slowed as she retired to a farm in the village of Sawrey. In 1913 she married William Heelis, settled on her farm, and spent the last 30 years of her life sheep-breeding and conserving the Lakeland countryside. She died in 1943 at the age of 77.
"...the prettiest kind of garden, where bright old-fashioned flowers grow amongst the currant bushes."—Potter describing her aunt and uncle's garden at their house in Wales, 1909.
Books by Beatrix Potter:
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)
- The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (1903)
- The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)
- The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904)
- The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904)
- The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905)
- The Tale of The Pie and The Patty-Pan (1905)
- The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (1906)
- The Story of A Fierce Bad Rabbit (1906)
- The Story of Miss Moppet (1906)
- The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907)
- The Tale of Jemima Puddle-duck (1908)
- The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, or The Roly-Poly Pudding (1908)
- The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909)
- The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (1909)
- The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse (1910)
- The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes (1911)
- The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912)
- The Tale of Pigling Bland (1913)
- Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes (1917)
- The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse (1918)
- Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes (1922)
- The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930)
Previously unpublished Works:
- Three Little Mice
- The Sly Old Cat
- The Fox and the Stork
- The Rabbits' Christmas Party
Links: England has The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, an amusement park based on Potter's tales. For some figurines or cookie jars based on the books, check out these pages. The Beatrix Potter Society strives to preserve and share the work of Beatrix Potter. This site has videos based on the books. And here is a list of other Beatrix Potter Web Sites.
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