What do you think?
Rate this book
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends
Hardback with dust jacket. 270 pages. Easy to read larger print with lots of colorful pictures.
270 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1995
1 person is currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Beatrix Potter
3,322 books2,133 followersHelen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, mycologist, and conservationist who is best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit.
Born into a wealthy household, Potter was educated by governesses and grew up isolated from other children. She had numerous pets, and through holidays in Scotland and the Lake District, developed a love of landscape, flora, and fauna, all of which she closely observed and painted. Because she was a woman, her parents discouraged intellectual development, but her study and paintings of fungi led her to be widely respected in the field of mycology.
In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit and became secretly engaged to her publisher, Norman Warne, causing a breach with her parents, who disapproved of his social status. Warne died before the wedding.
Potter eventually published 24 children's books, the most recent being The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots (2016), and having become financially independent of her parents, was able to buy a farm in the Lake District, which she extended with other purchases over time.
In her forties, she married a local solicitor, William Heelis. She became a sheep breeder and farmer while continuing to write and illustrate children's books. Potter died in 1943 and left almost all of her property to The National Trust in order to preserve the beauty of the Lake District as she had known it, protecting it from developers.
Potter's books continue to sell well throughout the world, in multiple languages. Her stories have been retold in various formats, including a ballet, films, and in animation.
Born into a wealthy household, Potter was educated by governesses and grew up isolated from other children. She had numerous pets, and through holidays in Scotland and the Lake District, developed a love of landscape, flora, and fauna, all of which she closely observed and painted. Because she was a woman, her parents discouraged intellectual development, but her study and paintings of fungi led her to be widely respected in the field of mycology.
In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit and became secretly engaged to her publisher, Norman Warne, causing a breach with her parents, who disapproved of his social status. Warne died before the wedding.
Potter eventually published 24 children's books, the most recent being The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots (2016), and having become financially independent of her parents, was able to buy a farm in the Lake District, which she extended with other purchases over time.
In her forties, she married a local solicitor, William Heelis. She became a sheep breeder and farmer while continuing to write and illustrate children's books. Potter died in 1943 and left almost all of her property to The National Trust in order to preserve the beauty of the Lake District as she had known it, protecting it from developers.
Potter's books continue to sell well throughout the world, in multiple languages. Her stories have been retold in various formats, including a ballet, films, and in animation.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 17, 2021
Wish I had read an edition that had Potter's complete illustrations first, nonetheless my 3 year old loved these stories. He was completely absorbed and wanted me to read them again as soon as we had finished. The illustrations are from a cartoon adaptation of the movie, but they aren't particularly cheesy, it is heavily illustrated, so would likely be good for a child who struggles to focus without lots of visuals. I wished to have introduced Potter with her own illustrations, but the stories are still charming regardless.
October 26, 2011
Reading these with my oldest DD - while the stories are all classics and not too complicated, had to explain a lot of terms to her that aren't used much in American English nowadays (ie: 'larder'). Made for some interesting conversations. = )
September 4, 2022
I was feeling quite nostalgic this morning, so I turned to one of my childhood favorites.
This was a book I read obsessively as a child, no joke. The first book I can ever remember reading was Peter Rabbit (I actually have the library copy that I pored over as a child, but that's a story for another day).
Reading this today, I realized that these stories appear to be abridged, and a few of the stories are combined with other stories. For example, Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny are combined, as are Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-duck. Nevertheless, they are a heckuva lot of fun to read out loud, and I'm sure if I have children some day, this will be one book I will make sure to read to them.
Not only that, but the illustrations are g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. I loved them as a child, and I still think they're so beautiful. Now, these aren't the original Beatrix Potter illustrations; rather, they are taken from the animated series inspired by her stories. (Do you remember those? I used to watch them on t.v.)
Overall, a great book for children or fans of Beatrix Potter.
This was a book I read obsessively as a child, no joke. The first book I can ever remember reading was Peter Rabbit (I actually have the library copy that I pored over as a child, but that's a story for another day).
Reading this today, I realized that these stories appear to be abridged, and a few of the stories are combined with other stories. For example, Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny are combined, as are Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-duck. Nevertheless, they are a heckuva lot of fun to read out loud, and I'm sure if I have children some day, this will be one book I will make sure to read to them.
Not only that, but the illustrations are g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. I loved them as a child, and I still think they're so beautiful. Now, these aren't the original Beatrix Potter illustrations; rather, they are taken from the animated series inspired by her stories. (Do you remember those? I used to watch them on t.v.)
Overall, a great book for children or fans of Beatrix Potter.
March 4, 2016
Well, as a vegan I certainly enjoy the fact that the book shows animals as equally existing creatures, along with the humans. Animals become victims of those who want to eat them and that's a pretty descent message to me.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews