Beatrix Potter - The Children's Writer
By C J Evans, 27th Jun 2011 | Follow this author
| RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/w5jbvvqm/
Posted in WikinutReviewsBooksBiography
From writer to water-color artist, Beatrix Potter remains one of the most important children's author ever.
Beatrix
Beatrix Potter was a talented author and water-colour artist of extraordinary ability. She used these talents to make a series of books for children that are read and loved by children and adults all over the world. The books have been translated into thirteen different languages.
In 1901 Beatrix Potter was unable to find a publisher for a book she had written for a young boy she knew who was ill. After a while she decided on publishing the book titled 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Mr McGregor's Garden' herself. She eventually took the book to Strangeways & Sons in Cambridge Circus and had 250 copies printed. These copies hit an immediate success and she ordered a further 200 copies to be printed.
Frederick Warne
Due to the obvious success of the first examples of the books larger publisher 'Frederick Warne' decided to take a gamble on the book. By October 1902, 8,000 copies of 'The Tale Of Peter Rabbit' were released. This was the first release of 23 titles which would span over a thirty year period. The final title of the 23 book list was a title called 'The Tale Of Little Pig Robinson'.
Merchandise
After the publication of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter designed a Peter Rabbit doll and asked Norman Warne to help her find a manufacturer for the toy. At that time there were a lot of very low quality German toys available so the item did not thrive. In October 1911 Frederick Warne published Peter Rabbit's Painting Book which contained pictures drawn by Beatrix Potter herself and it turned out to be the first of three painting books.
Her Beginnings
Beatrix Potter was born in South Kensington, London on July 28 in 1866. Her parents had her educated at home and therefore she had little opportunity to meet other children. Instead she chose to entertain herself with a large variety of pets. It was one of her pet rabbits that influenced her idea of Peter Rabbit. She was often seen walking around with this pet rabbit on a small lead.
Beatrix's Parents were very rich through inheritance and neither of them felt the need to work. They lived a life of leisure and Potter was left to her own devices, It was during this time of her life that she spent her time learning to draw animals and developing her skills as an artist. Every summer Potter's father would take them on vacation to the Lake District area in England. It was in the Lake District that Potter developed a deep love of nature and put the finishing touches to her ideas that would later be drawn in her books. With some of the money she earned from her books Potter bought up 4000 acres of the Lake District to save the land from developers. She donated this land Back to the Lake District in her will.
Comments
28th Jun 2011 (#)
I loved the tale of pig robinson. Really she is great!
Reply to this comment
29th Jun 2011 (#)
C J., what a very interesting read about a very interesting lady. I never knew anything about her. Well, until now. Well done, great research, interesting content and well written. Congrats on the star page, it is well deserved. Thank you for sharing.:)
Reply to this comment
7th Jul 2011 (#)
Her house is amazingly preserved, there is also a museum dedicated to her very close to Lake Windemere. Very good article!
Reply to this comment