The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Bibliography

Potter, Beatrix. TALES OF PETER RABBIT AND HIS FRIENDS. Chatham River Press, 1984. ISBN 0-517-449013

Plot Summary

In this memorable tale that has spanned the years, Peter Rabbit’s mother warns Peter and his siblings they need to stay in the house. In her warning, she tells her children to watch out for their neighbor Mr. McGregor who turned their own father into a rabbit pie after he was caught. Peter, being the curious rabbit he is, disobeys his mother and leaves the rabbit hole. Along the way, he runs into Mr. McGregor and tries to get away from him. Peter loses his clothes, jumps in the lettuce patch, sees other animals and gets lost while trying to escape. By the end of the story, Peter finally finds his way home and is given tea by his mother while his siblings get a good supper because they obeyed her warnings.

Critical Analysis

This story is a moralistic tale where Peter receives consequences for not obeying his mother’s warnings. Telling a story that shows the dangers of disobeying a parent is a good story for young children. Not only does Peter have to face the consequences at home, but he is seen as alone and scared when he can’t find his way home. When Peter realizes the world outside of the rabbit hole is just as his mother described, he wants to go home even more – a task that seems near impossible.

A picture accompanies each short paragraph throughout the story: Peter’s mother warning her children not to leave, Mr. McGregor running after Peter, Peter coming up on the cat at the pond. All the illustrations are done by Potter herself who described by Anne Ficklen in her foreword as “her only pleasure centered on caring for her pets and her drawing”. This fact is apparent throughout the entire book as there is great detail put into each picture.

Review Excerpts

Publisher Review: “Young children will be enchanted by the simple text and beautiful illustrations, which bring a classic story vibrantly to life. The board book format is sturdy and accessible, perfect for young readers, but adults will enjoy it too for bed-time read-aloud. As a board book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit will captivate children and offer them an early introduction to the world of Peter Rabbit and all his friends.”

Connections

· Have students write stories about a time when they got in trouble. They can describe how their parents reacted to it and what they learned from it.
· Students can tell of a time they got lost and how they thought about getting home. How could they have prevented this?
· Read other tales by Beatrix Potter:
o The Tailor of Gloucester
o The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
o The Story of Miss Moppet
o The Tale of Jemima Puddle-duck