This book was a delightful introduction to the life of Beatrix Potter, creator of beloved characters including Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, and Benjamin Button.
It starts by discussing her lonely childhood and lack of formal education — her parents didn’t think it was worthwhile to educate a girl since her only job was to marry wealthy — and then explains how she started inventing her characters, including Peter Rabbit, which she initially self-published. It also spends a lot of time describing her passion for nature and conservation, and her important contribution to the National Trust, which is still evident today.
Beatrix Potter was a lot more than a children’s book author and illustrator, and she made important contributions to her larger community for her entire life, and this book explores this in a way that doesn’t drag on like some nonfiction books do. I’ve always enjoyed reading Beatrix Potter’s books to my children, but I never really knew much about her and appreciated this opportunity to learn more.
While it was repetitive at times and could have used more photos (because I always like to see photos of the people and things described in biographies to see if it matches my imagination,) it was a very enjoyable and interesting read.
Disclaimer: I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley and Pen & Sword. It has not influenced my opinion.