Beatrix Potter

A Life in Illustrations

Early Years
Once Upon a Time
there was a young married
couple named, Rupert and Helen
Potter. Mr. and Mrs. Potter were
blessed one day with a baby girl.
They named her Helen Beatrix
Potter

Early Years - Fast Facts

Helen Beatrix Potter

born July 28, 1866 in London, England

Named after her mother, but called Beatrix

Beatrix was six years old when she welcomed her brother,
Bertram, into the family. He would become her best friend
(along with the animals).
Miss McKenzie, the family nurse, raised Beatrix and her
brother on the third floor of their home.

Early Years - Fast Facts cont.

Beatrix and Bertram:

spent most of their time in the nursery

were home schooled by a governess, Miss Hammond
rarely played with friends their own age, parents strict
often took long walks to the park

Early Years - Fast Facts cont.

Beatrix Also:

kept a diary and created a secret code that only she

could read

was very shy and lonely as a child

She often became ill with bronchitis and rheumatic fever,

which weakened her heart (Wallner, 9)
Beatrix and Bertram

Kept animals in their nursery classroom.

They kept: rabbits, beetles, caterpillars,
mice(named Hunca Munca andAppley Dapply), frogs,
hedgehogs, lizards, bats, newts,a tortoise(Malam, 10)
and a rabbit (named Peter)
Beatrix began to paint and draw when
she was young. She loved to paint plants
in detail.

Summering in the Lake District

The Potters like to summer in the Lake District, in

Scotland.

Summering in the Lake District - Fast Facts

Beatrix would take her pets, carefully placed
in boxes, for the long train ride.
Annie Carter, the new governess for Beatrix,
would often travel with the Potters
to the Lake District.
During her summers in Scotland, Beatrix would dream
of becoming a Scientist.

Scientist Years

Beatrix developed a strong love of nature when

she was
quite young.
Beatrix and her bother would keep animals in their
nursery classroom (even keeping the skeletons
of dead animals.)
Beatrix also studied art and would draw detailed
pictures of animals and nature.
Beatrix wrote a scientific paper about
how mushrooms and toadstools grew, but was
never able to present her paper because she
was a woman.

Author Years
I

have just made stories to please myself, because I

never grew up. - Beatrix Potter

When Beatrix turned 24 she decided to

try to sell her sketches.
She was successful! She sold many
sketches to a greeting card company.
She earned some money, but was still
unable to live on her own.

Author Years - Fast Facts

A little later Beatrix wanted to cheer up Noel, son
of
her past governess, Annie Moore.
One night, while thinking of Noel and her art,
she began to write
My Dear Noel,
I dont know what to write to you, so I shall
tell you a story about four little rabbits who
names are Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottentail, and
Peter (Wallner, 17)

Author Years - Fun Facts cont.

Beatrix tried and tried to make a living on her art and
science, but found that it was too hard.
Years later, Beatrix borrowed back Noels note and turned
that note into a story about four little rabbits.
Beatrix sent the story to several
publishers, only to be turned down.
She did NOT give up, and decided to publish
250 copies with her own money!

Author Years - Fun Facts cont.

A publisher found her book, asked for her to rewrite the
text and produce larger pictures, but she would not budge!
She wanted little hands to hold her little tales.
She got her way! In 1902,
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was
published!

Personal Years
Thank

goodness I was never sent to school; it would have

rubbed off some of the originality. - Beatrix Potter

Beatrix bought a home on Hilltop Farm in the Lake District.

She fell in love twice
Once with her editor Norman Warne (who would
later fall ill and die before they could marry)
- Next with William Heelis, a lawyer, whom she married in 1913

Personal Years - Fun Facts

Beatrix spent the rest of her life in the Lake District always
giving to people, to animals, and to nature.
Beatrix Potter died in 1943 leaving her land to the British
National Trust (protecting land from change). (Malan, 20)

Well Known Works - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tailor of Gloucester
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
The Tale of Two Bad Mice
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
The Tale of The Pie and The
Patty-Pan
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The Story of A Fierce Bad Rabbit
The Story of Miss Moppet
The Tale of Tom Kitten
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or

The Roly-Poly Pudding
The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies
The Tale of Ginger and Pickles
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
The Tale of Mr. Tod
The Tale of Pigling Bland
Appley Dapplys Nursery Rhyms
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
Cecily Parsleys Nursery Rhymes
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
(Wallner, 25)

Honors Awarded to Miss Potter

If I have done anything - even a little to help small children
on the road to enjoy and appreciate honest, simple pleasure,
I have done a bit of good.
- Beatrix Potter -

At the time Beatrix Potter was illustrating and writing, there

were few awards to win. However, she was a well known author
during her life, selling millions of copies of her books.