03/31/2024
Beatrix Potter -- the beloved English author and illustrator of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit" and many similar animal books -- is pictured here with a real-life "Peter Rabbit." As a child, Potter and her brother kept, cared for, studied, and drew their impressive collection of animals and insects which they kept in their school room and on the Scottish and northern England estates where they spent many of their summers. In 1902, Potter’s most famous work, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” was published to immediate success. For almost two decades, she continued to publish two or three similar books per year, ultimately writing 24 children's tales.
Potter also spent a good deal of time drawing and observing things found in nature. Mycology, the study of fungi, was of particular interest to Potter, and she even wrote a paper on the subject of fungal spore reproduction. Her paper was presented at a meeting of the Linnean Society in 1897 by a mycologist from the Royal Botanic Gardens, because women of the time were not permitted to attend the meetings. Upon her death in 1943, Potter, a dedicated conservationist, bequeathed sixteen farms and over 4,000 acres of land to the National Trust, enabling significant preservation of the lands that created the Lake District National Park. At the time, it was the largest gift the National Trust had ever received.
For a beautiful collection of all 23 of her classic stories, complete with their original illustrations, we highly recommend "Beatrix Potter the Complete Tales" at https://amzn.to/2Dfneji
To introduce children to Beatrix Potter's inspiring story, we recommend the picture books "Beatrix Potter, Scientist" (https://www.amightygirl.com/beatrix-potter-scientist) and "Saving the Countryside: The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit" (https://www.amightygirl.com/saving-the-countryside), both for ages 5 to 9
For older kids, we recommend the illustrated biography "Who Was Beatrix Potter?" for ages 8 to 12 at https://www.amightygirl.com/who-was-beatrix-potter
Adult fans of Beatrix Potter and her many books will love "Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life" (https://www.amightygirl.com/beatrix-potter-s-gardening-life) and "Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature" (https://www.amightygirl.com/beatrix-potter-a-life-in-nature)
For more stories of Mighty Girls who love animals, visit our blog post "Animal Friends: 60 Mighty Girl Stories About Caring For Animals" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11577
