The Tale of Peter Rabbit

by Beatrix Potter, David M. McPhail (Illustrator)

Overview

Share The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter's most popular and well-loved tale, with rabbit lovers everywhere this spring!

Follow the story of naughty Peter Rabbit as he squeezes under the gate into Mr. McGregor's garden and finds himself in all kinds of trouble!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780590411011
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/28/1992
Series:	Easy-to-Read Folktales Series
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	444,304
Product dimensions:	8.02(w) x 7.96(h) x 0.11(d)
Lexile:	AD660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Beatrix Potter was born on July 28, 1866, at No. 2, Bolton Gardens, Kensington, London. Beatrix Potter discovered her love of nature on annual summer holidays in Scotland and the Lake District.  On September 4, 1893, Beatrix sat down to write a picture letter to Noel Moore, the five-year-old son of her ex-governess, all about a naughty rabbit called Peter. Noel was ill in bed and so Beatrix wrote to him: "My dear Noel, I don't know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits. . . . " Some years later, Beatrix thought of publishing the story as a book. She rewrote it into an exercise book and sent it to six publishers. It was rejected by every one of them. It was not until Beatrix had printed the book herself that Frederick Warne agreed to publish it. The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published in 1902, costing one shilling (the equivalent of just 5 pence today), and became one of the most famous stories ever written. Many of Beatrix's later books were set at Hill Top—the rats that infested the farm inspired The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, Tom Kitten and his sisters climb up the rockery wall at the bottom of Hill Top garden, and Ginger and Pickles.

Cyndy Szekeres is a writer and illustrator known for Puppy Too Small, Suppertime for Frieda Fuzzypaws, Cyndy Szekeres’ I Love My Busy Book, Scaredy Cat, Good Night, Sweet Mouse, and more.

Read an Excerpt

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

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By Beatrix Potter

OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA

Copyright © 2017 Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5040-4628-2

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CHAPTER 1

ONCE UPON A TIME there were four little Rabbits, and their names were —

Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.

They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

'Now my dears,' said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, 'you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.'

'Now run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out.'

Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker's. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.

Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries:

But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate!

First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes;

And then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley.

But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!

Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, 'Stop thief!'

Peter was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate.

He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.

After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.

Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Copyright © 2017 Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

The original illustrations in this sturdy board book were copyrighted by McPhail in 1986. Here they enhance Potter’s ever-popular story of an adventurous little rabbit that needed to heed his mother’s admonition not to go to Mr. McGregor’s garden. Clad in his blue jacket and little red shoes, the naughty Peter “ran straight away” to the forbidden garden plot. He ate lots of things and “feeling rather sick” went off to look for some parsley. Of course, he encounters the farmer and must flee for his life. After some hair-raising escape scenes, he manages to slip back out under the gate and run home. His mother doses him with chamomile tea and tucks him into bed, poor exhausted rabbit that he is. Mrs. Rabbit and her daughters enjoy “bread and milk and blackberries for supper.” Of course, Potter’s own illustrations are a charming compliment for her story; but McPhail expands the details available to the reader with his interpretations of various parts of the story. The view of the interior of the rabbit family’s abode “underneath the root of a very big fir tree” gives a clear picture of the tidy home Mrs. Rabbit has created for her children: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter. The storyline as written is a bit long for today’s listeners, but their attention spans can be stretched as they have plenty to look at in this colorful version of a classic tale. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan; Ages 2 to 4.

Children's Literature - Sheilah Egan