One of the most beloved children’s authors, Beatrix Potter did not begin as an author. Instead, she was an illustrator, building upon the love she developed upon holidays in England’s Lake District for collecting fossils, archaeological remains, insects and plants. She even made an attempt at scientific mycological work, submitting a thesis despite the patriarchal orientation of the scientific community at the time.

But this love of nature, combined with a love of mythology and folklore, led to a love of stories about nature, and it is these stories for which Potter is best known, especially her Peter Rabbit. In her stories, Potter combines a love for and sensitivity to the landscape and all the lives lived within it – farmer and rabbit, mushroom and root. They are tales that English children (and many others) grew up with and loved.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit was written in 1902. Its plot is simple – a rabbit overly proud of his blue jacket – is repeatedly warned not to enter Farmer McGregor’s garden, but of course does so. He is chased about the garden before losing his jacket (and escaping), and runs back home where his mother comforts him with a cup of tea.