"The Tale of Peter Rabbit" Review

Bibliographic Information: Potter, Beatrix. 2002. The Tale of Peter Rabbit. New York: The Penguin Group. ISBN: 978-0-7232-4770-8

Critical Analysis:
After being warned by his mother to stay out of Mr. McGregor’s garden to avoid being made into rabbit soup as his father was, the naughty Peter Rabbit sneaks into the garden. There, after stuffing himself with lettuce, beans and radish, he is caught by Mr. McGregor, who hollers, “Stop thief!” and chases after Peter. Peter loses both of his shoes, his jacket, jumps in a full can of water, gets lost, and ends up crying in despair before finding the gate, which is just beyond Mr. McGregor. Peter, past caring, makes a dash for it, and barely makes it out of the garden. When Peter arrives home he feels unwell and spends the evening in bed with chamomile tea, while his siblings, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail “had bread and milk and berries for supper.”

The soft, elegant lines of Beatrix Potter’s, The Tale of Peter Rabbit are evocative of a protective, nurturing stance toward childhood, yet this classic deals with some difficult subject matter. Not only has Peter’s father been killed and eaten, but Potter forces us to examine our relationship with the very childhood character that is anthropomorphized in this tale. She points out that while we sympathize with Peter as the protagonist, it is humans that are his family’s predators. The story is also an emotional journey. Peter finds himself naked, wet, alone, and scared, and just when he gives into misery he sees the way home. Such a story is relatable in some form to us all. Potter’s use of white space, softened edges, and pastel colors all lend a gentle hand to this harrowing adventure full of difficult truths.

Review Excerpts:
The Hornbook Review: "The classic story of the adventurous rabbit who ignored his mother’s warnings to avoid Mr. MacGregor’s garden is a unique blend of perfectly scaled watercolors with a precise text never equaled by its many imitators. Other titles by this author in the same understated small format are also recommended."

Connections:
There is a wonderful interactive website for children and adults that features games, news, articles, history, and lesson plans. Click here to be linked to the site.
Children may enjoy Potter's other books, including, The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse.