Peter Rabbit Books

Beatrix Potter was born on July 28, 1866, at No 2, Bolton Gardens, Kensington, London. She loved nature and drawing as a child. In 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….” And that’s how The Tale of Peter Rabbit was created. It wasn’t until 1902 that Frederick Warne published what would become one of the most beloved stories in children’s books.

Emma Thompson is an Oscar-winning actress and screen writer. Thompson is known for her sophisticated, skillful performances, and for her arch wit. She ranked #91 in Empire Magazine’s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” list in 1997, and wrote the script for the popular Nancy McPhee movie. She studied literature at Cambridge University, and has a particular fondness for Beatrix Potter.

Founded in 1865 by a bookseller, the British publisher Frederick Warne & Co. built its reputation publishing children’s books with authors like Edward Lear, Kate Greenaway, Walter Crane, and Beatrix Potter – the creator of Peter Rabbit. Since becoming a division of Penguin in 1983, Warne has acquired many other classic book properties including Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies in 1989 and Eric Hill’s Spot in 1993. Today, Warne continues to publish beautifully produced editions of their original works, lively spin-offs, and leveled readers.