![An illustration from "Beatrix Potter 1866-1943: The Artist and Her World" by Judy Taylor](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/39/45/1330658155_potter1.jpg?itok=219ZZgHH "An illustration from "Beatrix Potter 1866-1943: The Artist and Her World" by Judy Taylor")
In the vast realm of literature for children, one of the most memorable authors is undoubtedly Beatrix Potter. Illustrator and storyteller, Potter described her love for art, animals, and nature through her prolific achievements. Twenty-three short stories about the most whimsical personae introduce personification to young readers, from squirrels and jacket-wearing rabbits to hedgehogs, pigs, and owls who talk and think as acutely as humans. The stories are as diverse as they are numerous, delightful and reminiscent of Aesop’s Fables.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit is one of Potter’s most famous stories, where one mischievous (and hungry) rabbit risks his life for a feast in a forbidden garden and has a sequel in The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. The Tale of the Tom Kitten, on the other hand, outlines the effects of frolicking childish mischief in less fatal terms, including an encounter with three fashion-savvy ducks. It has a sequel in The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, or The Roly-Poly Pudding. The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck has a more sinister plot twist, having to do with theft and murder, while The Tale of Two Bad Mice continues these themes on a smaller scale. Other stories among the twenty-three are less known but were just as dearly created.
To be continued...
All twenty-three stories in The Complete Tales are available in local libraries and bookstores in Fresno, and online.
Comments