On the 150th anniversary of the author’s birth, it seems fitting to re-examine some of her beloved work and what she left behind.
There is no doubting the fact that Beatrix Potter is still one of the most popular children’s authors, known for her charming animal stories whose varied adventures still enchant young children today.
All of her stories reflect Potter’s love of animals and for the countryside, particularly the Lake District, which was a source of inspiration for many of her stories. This love of the countryside was also reflected in the great conservation work that she did, saving thousands of acres of land from being built on and leaving it to the National Trust when she died.
Her beautiful illustrations that she did for books such as ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ , ‘The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck’ and ‘The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle’ also reveal her strength as an artist and vivid imagination when it came to creating the stories.
Of course, there is a light heartedness about all of the stories, but Potter was also keen to add a sense of morals about not doing what you are told or in the case of Jemima Puddle-Duck – going off with a stranger with a long bushy tail.
Beatrix Potter not only understood how to write for children, but to encourage them to use their imaginations as much as possible, reminding them through her stories that nothing is impossible: if you can imagine it then it can be real.
The mild tone and the surprising amount of detail in each of the tales, make these perfect bedtime reading for little ones even now, so hopefully the appeal of Beatrix Potter will last for even longer.
Beatrix Potter was an extarordinarily talented author, whose drawings and stories still capture attention from both children and adults today, leaving a big legacy behind.