Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Tale of Peter Rabbit (The World of Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit)

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 73,740 ratings · 631 reviews

The quintessential cautionary tale, Peter Rabbit warns naughty children about the grave consequences of misbehaving. When Mrs. Rabbit beseeches her four furry children not to go into Mr. McGregor's garden, the impish Peter naturally takes this as an open invitation to create mischief. He quickly gets in over his head, when he is spotted by farmer McGregor himself. Any chil...more

Hardcover, 70 pages

Published September 16th 2002 by Warne (first published December 16th 1901)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Favorite books from my childhood

44th out of 2,627 books — 4,846 voters

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Books That Everyone Should Read At Least Once

197th out of 8,090 books — 37,983 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Nov 27, 2008 Jack Kirby and the X-man rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, fiction, author-uk, setting-europe-uk, childrens-picture-book, 2008, setting-europe, 1900s, must-read-list-ny-public-library-10

A true classic.

I don't recall reading Beatrix Potter as a child - but of course you seem to absorb the stories seemingly through societial osmosis.

I certainly look forward to reading the rest of the Peter Rabbit books. I note with interest in the inside cover that this book has been translated into Latin, which I suppose would be useful if we had a time machine!

Leaving behind the book itself you have to tip your cap at whoever does Beatrix Potter's tie-ins. Without even realising it I was readin...more

like 2 likes · see review

May 01, 2013 Melissa Cooney rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.
‘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-back, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.” Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail are good little bunnies who listen to their mothers advice and stay out of Mr. McGregor’s garden. Despite the fact that his father was eaten by the McGregors, Peter can’t resist all the wonderful vegetables that are inside the gar...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Elma Branigan rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The tale of Peter Rabbit focuses on the theme of being naughty and good. This tale will allow children who behave in mischievous ways to see the consequences of their actions.
Peter Rabbit enjoys getting up to mischief whereas his three siblings Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail always do as they are told by their mother.

One day, the rabbits’ mother allowed the children to go along and play in the fields or down the lane but she warned them not to go anywhere near Mr Mc Gregor...more

like · see review

Apr 04, 2013 Vrinda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-literature

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter is a classic picturebook for intended readers, N-P. It is a captivating tale of a mischievous rabbit that disobeys his mother, venturing into the forbidden garden of Mr. McGregor. Being sighted and chased, in his dash to escape, he stumbles into obstacles, ultimately learning the valuable lesson of what it means to listen and follow the rules.

Miraculously, Peter manages to sneak out of the garden, but at the expense of returning home sick, and drenched...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Joshua Cummins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-picture-book

The Tale of Peter Rabbit takes you on a journey with naughty Peter who is lucky to be alive after such adventures. When is mother leaves for the baker's, he is told one thing; 'don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.' Peter's siblings, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail went down the lane to gather blackberries, for they always obeyed. But Peter could not resist and the first thing he did was go to Mr. McGregor's garden and feaste...more

like · see review

Dec 16, 2012 Sabera Din rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the first books I remember being bought as a child was The Tale of Peter Rabbit and having read it many times it has become a favourite! It tells the story of a mischievous rabbit who, against his mother’s advice, decides to venture into Mr McGregor’s Garden. Peter eats his way through a variety of foods in Mr McGregor’s garden before he is caught by the farmer and what ensue are his attempts to escape from the garden!
The story carries a strong theme of the consequences of not following i...more

like 4 likes · see review

Nov 20, 2012 Brittany Hastings rated it 4 of 5 stars

Grade Level: K
Lexile: 660
Main Character: Peter Rabbit, 3 sisters, Mother Rabbit
Setting: Garden
POV: 3rd Person
Genre: Fantasy

-Summary: Peter Rabbit is a mischievous little rabbit that lives with his mother and his three sisters. Peter is not allowed to play in the garden. His sisters follow the rules and never try to play in the garden. However, one day Peter decides to break the rules. The book follows Peter as he is chased throughout the garden by the owner, Mr. McGregor. He soon escapes and goe...more

like · see review

Oct 22, 2012 Saretta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-books, edition-short-stories, language-eng, sfida-onceuponatime, sfida-xxsecolo, format-ebook

Queste storie di Beatrix Potter sono piccoli gioielli per la letteratura infantile.
Il racconto ha un chiaro fine morale: i bambini ubbidienti alla fine hanno dei vantaggi rispetto ai disubbidienti (che se poi uno applica questa morale all'Italia la cosa non torna così bene), però, morale a parte, ci sono le illustrazioni.
Ecco, questi disegni dell'autrice stessa sono veramente belli e delicati; le illustrazioni fatte dallo stesso autore difficilmente disattendono le mie aspettative, anzi arricchi...more

like 3 likes · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Rebecca Broadley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Overall The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a fantastic book to introduce to children. The complex use of vocabulary is a wonderful way to extend a child’s own language comprehension and skills. There is ample opportunity to identify and explore the characters through voice and role play (this is highly beneficial to younger children.) This short story explores a few recurring motifs as well as having a definitive moral.

Gender roles within this story are poorly challenged and there is a great deal of...more

like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, classics

I checked Peter Rabbit out because my little nephew has been feeling a little sick, a little low, and a little vulnerable lately. I've noticed that sometimes the poor little boy just doesn't need Spider-Man as much as he needs a comfort story.

Ok, I'm not really sure why I thought Peter Rabbit would be a "comfort story." The little guy gets a belly ache, gets chased around the garden by an enraged old guy, loses his clothes, almost drowns in a watering can, and then barely escapes with is life. O...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Maeve Harrison rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read the book “The tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter as a young child and I can remember enjoying the adventures of little Peter but also being terribly afraid that he may be turned into a Pie by then of the book!
This book is about Peter rabbit and his sisters Flopsy Mopsy and Cotton tail setting out in search of food to bring home for dinner. Their mother specifically warns them to stay away from Mr McGregors garden as this is the place where their father was captured and turned into r...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Huma rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a classic children's book. The story is about four little bunnies and their mother. When Mrs. Rabbit leaves to run some errands she tells her children they can play outside, but not to go to Mr. McGregor's garden, as he caught Mr. Rabbit and cooked him in a pie. Peter is mischievousness and while his other siblings gather berries, he squeezes under a gate into Mr. McGregor's garden. There he gorges himself on lettuce, beans and radishes. Feeling unwell he searches for...more

like · see review

Sep 04, 2012 Edward Knapp rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a simple yet wonderfully crafted story of a curious and mischievous rabbit who decides to ignore his Mother’s strict warning about entering the garden of Mr McGregor, despite the reminder of Peter’s father being made into a pie for doing the very same thing. (A fact that is nonchalantly mentioned in this children’s book). After Peter and his three sisters were sent to collect blackberries he heads directly to the forbidden garden and starts to feast on all the wonderf...more The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a simple yet wonderfully crafted story of a curious and mischievous rabbit who decides to ignore his Mother’s strict warning about entering the garden of Mr McGregor, despite the reminder of Peter’s father being made into a pie for doing the very same thing. (A fact that is nonchalantly mentioned in this children’s book). After Peter and his three sisters were sent to collect blackberries he heads directly to the forbidden garden and starts to feast on all the wonderful vegetables the garden has to offer. Having over eaten Peter goes in search of some parsley to settle his stomach only to stumble across the rabbit pie baker Mr McGregor, who chases Peter with a rake. Peter is nearly caught on several occasions but narrowly avoids capture escaping the raspberry net, tool shed and avoids a cat.
Eventually the young tired rabbit manages to make his way back to the gate and find his way to his mother, the exertions of the day means Peter has to go to bed early with some Camomile tea to recover whilst his three sisters enjoyed bread, milk and blackberries for supper.

Beatrix Potter has created a character which children can easily relate to. In the mind of a child there is nothing more appealing than doing the complete opposite to that which is expressly forbidden, Peter Rabbit is no exception to this rule as he immediately does the opposite of what he is told. The plot of the story is a simple one, Mother warns child, child ignores Mother, child is nearly caught, and child eventually manages to evade capture, however the story is so enchanting and well told that it is one of the most famous in the world. The contrast between his three well behaved sisters is a strict reminder to children that doing what one is told is the correct thing to do and will lead to good things, conversely doing what you are told not to do can lead to bad things happening and Peter’s story is a stern reminder to do what you are told.

Despite the story being aimed to children around the age of seven or eight it still manages, with help of the wonderful illustrations, to create fear, suspense, discouragement and eventual relief when Peter manages to find his way home. My only gripe with the story, and it is a small gripe, is the inclusion of the demise of the Peter’s father. I am aware that this story was written over one hundred years ago, however, not entirely sure how comfortable eight year olds, a century ago or now, are when reading such horrific news. Having said that the story has become one of the most famous of all time and is a massive hit all around the world, so children clearly don’t find it that distressing at all. This book is excellent to read as an individual and also within a group, the simple writing style contrasted with the emotion of the story will grip children and encourage them to read, ultimately improving their language skills and hopefully encouraging them to read more books. An all time classic, excellent book and one of my favourites.
(less)

like · see review

Jun 04, 2012 Joy H. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-fiction

Added 5/4/12.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit (first published 1902) by Beatrix Potter

Below is a comment I posted at my group 5/4/12:
==================================
"Miss Potter" (2006), the biopic about Beatrix Potter was exquisite.
http://movies.netflix.com/movie/Miss-...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482546/

The combination of Renée Zellweger with Emily Watson acting alongside her was brilliant. The Heartland Film Festival gave the movie the "Truly Moving Sound Award" in the "Truly Moving Picture" cat...more

like 1 like · see review

May 27, 2012 Kimberly Erskine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Many literary elements can be applied to the story The Tale of Peter Rabbit. One of the most obvious elements is that of personification. Peter is given human-like traits in the way that he dresses. He wears clothes which end up getting messed up much to his mother’s dismay. By adding this element to the story Peter is easier to relate and connect to. The only dialogue used in this story is that of the mother. This makes her words seem more powerful and meaningful. Meanwhile, it allows the actio...more

like · see review

Mar 05, 2012 Natalie Rion rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics

For one of my classic book choices, I chose "The Tale Of Peter Rabbit" written by Beatrix Potter. It is a short story about a small rabbit named Peter. Peter misbehaves one afternoon and chooses to go in Mr. McGregor's yard although Peter's mother told him not to. While in his garden, Peter helps himself to much of Mr. McGregor's vegetables and as he is eating, Mr. McGregor spots Peter. Peter runs as fast as he can from Mr. McGregor and in the process of running, Peter loses all of his clothing....more

like · see review

Feb 29, 2012 Prashant rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this book Peter Rabbit, one among the 4 kids decides to go on an adventure. He defies his mother to go to a old man's garden and create a fuss after he learns that his father met a sad end when he was there.

This is a short story with lots of illustrations but two very strong messages. One which quickly grasped by all is 'you defy your mother and you will end up feeling tired in the end and all your brothers who obeyed her will get to eat the dinner she cooked.' But when I finished the book I...more

like 3 likes · see review

Dec 04, 2011 Manny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, why-not-call-it-poetry, parody-homage

Inspired by Ramblefoot , a gritty, naturalistic, no-holds-barred depiction of the lives of wolves, I couldn't help wondering if similar treatments weren't possible for other classics. Here's an extract from my draft rabbit novel, provisionally entitled Nojacket:

Peter finished his breakfast, but the insipid, cloying taste of the dead dandelion leaves left him unsatisfied. The craving was starting to build up in him again. He needed to veg out. Suddenly, he started as a voice came from right behin

...more Inspired by Ramblefoot , a gritty, naturalistic, no-holds-barred depiction of the lives of wolves, I couldn't help wondering if similar treatments weren't possible for other classics. Here's an extract from my draft rabbit novel, provisionally entitled Nojacket:

Peter finished his breakfast, but the insipid, cloying taste of the dead dandelion leaves left him unsatisfied. The craving was starting to build up in him again. He needed to veg out. Suddenly, he started as a voice came from right behind him.

"We're looking for blackberries. You want to come, Peter?"

It was his half-sister Flopsy, a precociously formed doe. She was not yet one summer old, yet already her haunches had the rounded look of a mature female. She exuded an enticing, musky odor. As if by chance, she turned her head so that their whiskers brushed, and seductively twitched her nose. For a moment, Peter was tempted, but the other urge was too strong.

"Sorry, Flopsy. I've got... stuff to do."

With one bound, he had scooped up his blue jacket, the mark of the civilized young rabbit, and was out of the burrow before he could change his mind. He lolloped down the path as he had done many times before, then, looking both ways, he eased his trembling body under the hard wood of the gate. He was on McGregor territory.

He straightened up, all his senses maximally alert, but there were no warning signals yet. With the practiced ease of the professional thief, he took the short-cut through the gooseberry bushes and emerged directly in the vegetable garden. His eyes glistened with desire as he saw the huge, plump lettuces. No longer caring about safety, he immediately attacked the nearest one, slicing into it with his razor-sharp front teeth. Green juices ran down his chin as he gorged himself on the unresisting leaves. His eyes half-closed, he chewed, swallowed, bit again, forcing the food down his throat as fast as he could eat until he reached the tender heart. In less time than one could believe possible, the lettuce was no more than an eviscerated husk. Peter contemptuously tossed away the bitter stem and then started on the radishes. Their tart, peppery red flesh contrasted delightfully with the sweet lettuce, and he frenziedly ate one after another. His swollen stomach hurt, but the pleasure was still stronger.

(less)

like 3 likes · see review

Nov 23, 2011 Michael Chu rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Children for the Holiday's

Recommended to Michael by: Chintu Parikh

This is a beautifully illustrated book for a book that was made over a 100 years ago. The characters relate to me to where I found myself when I was young doing things I shouldn't be doing, paying the price, and learning a lesson about it.

I found out about this eBook through Franklin Jr. They have a Facebook promotion going on right now that allows you to get the eBook free of charge onto your iPad or iPhone. Here are the details:

Facebook Promo: Free eBook The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Dear Fellow Rea...more

like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 Megan Baker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature

This book is a work of fantasy and is intended for primary readers. Peter Rabbit was warned by his mother not to get into mischief. Peter ventures into a garden where he is spotted by the farmer, Mr. McGregor. Peter barely escapes and later learns his lesson when he returns home and must suffer the consequences of misbehaving.
I rated this book five stars because it was one of my favorite books to read when I was younger. The illustrations, although small, bare great detail and give you a sens...more

like · see review

Sep 04, 2011 Rain Misoa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Ages 0-3 and anyone willing to learn a valuble lesson.

Recommended to Rain by: We Give Books

Shelves: childrens-books

This is one of the children's books that I read for We Give Books, A Pearson Foundation Initiative to help children all around the world obtain books. It's an organization that gathers many campaigns in one spot on the web to encourage people to read many books for children. With every book you read, one gets donated to the campaign you signed up for. (There's quite a few campaigns available.) A very good friend of mine, Nicole Terazue, recommended this site to me since she knew I loved reading...more This is one of the children's books that I read for We Give Books, A Pearson Foundation Initiative to help children all around the world obtain books. It's an organization that gathers many campaigns in one spot on the web to encourage people to read many books for children. With every book you read, one gets donated to the campaign you signed up for. (There's quite a few campaigns available.) A very good friend of mine, Nicole Terazue, recommended this site to me since she knew I loved reading books! (Thanks love!) The campaign I chose to be a part of is called Jumpstart for Young Children. Every book that I read associated with We Give Books gets donated to Jumpstart for Young Children so that less fortunate kids in pre-schools all over America will be able to have more books to read from and learn. It's a fabulous project and I urge all readers, especially parents with young children, to join and help other children less fortunate than our own to read and spread the word of We Give Books. It will benefit children everywhere.

Finally! I read a book written by none other than Beatrix Potter. How long I have waited to read this fabulous children's tale about the mischievous little rabbit, Peter Rabbit. It makes me happy that I read this board version of the children's classic. This particular tale follows Peter through Mr. McGregor's garden despite his mother's warnings and all the crazy hijinks that ensue. The moral of the story is that children should listen to their parents and stay out of trouble. Although I feel this is a very valuable lesson to be instilled in children at a young age (this book is recommended for the ages of 0-3), I also believe that children should be aloud to make their own mistakes. It helps build character. However, with society the way it is, many parents don't seem to agree with me in this aspect so that's fine. As long as the child gets something valuable out of reading this book then I'm quite satisfy. The illustrations to this book is very simple. There's not a lot of color and not a lot of detail but I don't think that's the point of the book. I think the simplicity of the artwork only enhances the trouble Peter went through in order to get back home and be with his mother. It's very sweet and you start to really feel for Peter towards the end. The writing was great. Even though this is the board version, I can see that Potter's writing still shines through for the younger reader to enjoy. My only complaint was how it ended so abruptly. I know if I was to read the original version, I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more. Still, it's a very good book to introduce toddlers into the reading world. I recommend you let your child read any book about Peter Rabbit! ^_^(less)

like 1 like · see review

Sep 01, 2011 Allison W. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Toddlers and up

Recommended to Allison W. by: 1001 BYMRBYGU

Shelves: 1001-cbymrbygu

Beatrix Potter's children's books are timeless and wonderful - the stories and the illustrations. The Tale of Peter Rabbit is surely her most famous one and it is a shame that more folks do not realize she has an entire host of characters and stories that are all equally wonderful.

Her characters are easy for children to identify with. Peter Rabbit immediately does the one thing that his mother has forbidden her children to do (going to Mr. McGregor's garden) despite knowing that his father did t...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 27, 2011 Pamelabyoung rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

This tale was quite realistic to me as a child. I remember putting myself completely in the role of Peter and how very frightened I was of Farmer MacGregor. When Peter was caught in the gooseberry net my heart beat faster and when Peter cried and was comforted by sparrows, I must have decided that sparrows were friends since I am still enamored of these small creatures. I wonder why I didn't identify with Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail who "were good little bunnies"? In fact, I remember them as be...more This tale was quite realistic to me as a child. I remember putting myself completely in the role of Peter and how very frightened I was of Farmer MacGregor. When Peter was caught in the gooseberry net my heart beat faster and when Peter cried and was comforted by sparrows, I must have decided that sparrows were friends since I am still enamored of these small creatures. I wonder why I didn't identify with Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail who "were good little bunnies"? In fact, I remember them as being smarty pants, but as I look back at the book now, they didn't do anything mean to Peter, but simply did as they were told and had bread and milk and blackberries for supper while Peter had a dose of chamomile tea and lay sick.

Beatrix Potter's little book was filled with her vivid watercolors which are etched in my memory in almost perfect detail. We visited her house when in the Lakes District some years ago and it was exactly as I had imagined it. I had my picture taken in the doorway where I had seen her photographed. It isn't surprising that one of my favorite movies is "Miss Potter" in which Rene Zelwegger plays her with such grace. If you haven't seen it, definitely give it a go. If you have young children in your life, don't forget to share all of Beatrix Potter's little books with them. If you have not seen the Beatrix Potter collection on DVD, it is amazing. For some time, these beautifully animated and narrated for the BBC videos were only available on VHS and had to be collected 3 stories at a time. Now you can buy a boxed set of nine thirty-minute narrated tales for only about $16. Boys and girls alike are mesmerized by these sweet, rather slow and gentle stories. It is fascinating to watch young children take to these stories after seeing the fast-paced and loud cartoons that bombard them today. Great care was taken to preserve Miss Potter's brushstrokes and washes in these videos. It truly appears that her illustrations simply came to life.

So much for my book review, but there is much material to share about this fascinating woman.

Look! You can read it here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14838/...(less)

like · see review

Jul 28, 2011 Peter Jamieson added it · review of another edition

Salient fact here: Peter's father was put in a pie by Mr and Mrs McGregor. And he was put in the pie because he had gone into Mr McGregor's garden. Under those circumstances, what's the most interesting, scary and exciting thing you could do as a young rabbit? Enter the garden, of course!

Peter is likeable; he isn't a tiresome trickster-figure like Brer Rabbit, but something more immediately like each of us. For rabbits and humans, a stress response is vital for survival. It heightens your awaren...more

like · see review

Jun 11, 2011 Tasos Anastasopoulos rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

A really easy to read book with lovely images as the story went on..there were really some points that i spent much more time staring at the drawings (that are made the good old traditional way and not computer digitalized as in most of the modern books) than the text itself but still quite fun to read, following Peter a pretty naughty and courageous rabbit that despite his mother warnings decided to go inside a yard to find more food... As simple as it may seem this book has its point, the writ...more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 19, 2009 K.D. Oliveros rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to K.D. by: 501

Shelves: 501, childrens

I also read this while inside the Booksale at Waltermart Munoz. So, it saved me money and space in my now crowded bedroom. I now own more than 800 books and my wife is already complaining!

This book is the first in the Rabbit series of Helen Beatrix Potter. If you saw the 2006 movie (starring the beautiful Renee Zellweger) of her life, she did not intend to become a writer as she was more of an illustrator. It was interesting because she is very good in both. As a proof, Peter Rabbit character ha...more

like · see review

Mar 18, 2013 Lacey Ellison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: electronic-format, picture-book, traditional, responsibility, animal-characters, modern-fantasy

Annotation:

This children's book is an electronic picture book about a naughty little Rabbit named Peter. In the beginning of the story, Peter's mother told him and his siblings that they could go out into the fields or down the lane while she went to get bread, but they were to stay away from Mr. McGregor's garden. Peter's 3 siblings went down the lane to gather blackberries, and Peter went straight to Mr. McGregor's garden and began eating his radishes. Mr. McGregor saw him and chased him all o...more Annotation:

This children's book is an electronic picture book about a naughty little Rabbit named Peter. In the beginning of the story, Peter's mother told him and his siblings that they could go out into the fields or down the lane while she went to get bread, but they were to stay away from Mr. McGregor's garden. Peter's 3 siblings went down the lane to gather blackberries, and Peter went straight to Mr. McGregor's garden and began eating his radishes. Mr. McGregor saw him and chased him all over the garden until Peter was finally able to find his way back to the gate. When Peter got home, he was so tired that his mother gave him camomile tea and put him to bed while his siblings had bread, milk, and blackberries for dinner. The watercolor illustrations are simple yet effective in showing Peter's emotions.

Response:

This book reminded me of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. Both are modern fantasies, because the characters are personified animals. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus tells the story of a persistent misbehaving pigeon who doesn't want to follow the rules. He begs and pleads for the reader to let him drive the bus. In The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter disobeys his mother and goes to Mr. McGregor's farm to eat his vegetables. In the end, he learns his lesson, because he is too tired for dinner. Instead of eating blackberries, bread, and milk like his siblings, his mother gave him camomile tea and put him to bed. Both main characters are mischevous animals who don't want to follow the rules.

I chose to give this book 3 stars, because it has many of the qualities of outstanding children's literature. It expands awareness by teaching responsibility and teaching students that there are consequences for their actions. The book didn't overtly teach or moralize, and the insights the book imply are accurate and relevant. It shows originality, because it's a traditional book that was written in 1902 before any other similar books were written. The book stretches the mind by forcing the reader to imagine what it would be like if animals talked and acted like humans. Although the book displayed these qualities, I didn't think it was an enjoyable read, because it just wasn't that exciting. (TMY, 2010, p.9)

Classroom Connections:

After reading this book in the classroom, I would have my students write their own tales of Peter Rabbit. I would have them create short blank picture books by folding a few pieces of construction paper. I would ask them to write a short story for Peter Rabbit and then illustrate the pages. Their stories should involve Peter Rabbit listening to his mother when she tells him not to go to the garden. They could write their own stories about what Peter Rabbit did that day instead. This activity would allow students to practice their writing and be creative. It would also allow them to better understand the moral of the story. I would modify the activity for younger students, by having them focus on using the illustrations to tell the story instead of words.

Text Complexity:

The Tale of Peter Rabbit has a Lexile of 660 and a Guided Reading Level of L. It would be interesting as a read aloud for students in grades K-2, and a student should be able to read the text independently in the fifth month of third grade. (less)

like · see review

May 07, 2012 Anna Ligtenberg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Now that I'm working on my fourth edition of this classic title, I thought it was time to merge the reviews to make comparison easier. Each edition has its own star rating, below, before the review text.

First, the standard recap: Peter disobeys his mother and sneaks into Mr MacGregor's garden, despite knowing that his father ended up in a pie. Spotted and chased, Peter barely escapes and returns home wet and sick and is dosed with camomile tea. (I have yet to find a version that's so Americanize...more Now that I'm working on my fourth edition of this classic title, I thought it was time to merge the reviews to make comparison easier. Each edition has its own star rating, below, before the review text.

First, the standard recap: Peter disobeys his mother and sneaks into Mr MacGregor's garden, despite knowing that his father ended up in a pie. Spotted and chased, Peter barely escapes and returns home wet and sick and is dosed with camomile tea. (I have yet to find a version that's so Americanized that it's spelled chamomile, which I think is a cool detail.) His siblings feast on bread and milk and blackberries.

ISBN 1403753911 The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Based on the original art and story) 4 stars - Board book edition. Very small, about 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches, excellent for taking along. In this edition, it's spelled McGregor. Not that it matters. This edition doesn't mention Peter's father's end as pie filling, a plus for the squeamish or over-sensitive. Or vegetarian. In this version, the clothes Peter loses are put to use by Mr McGregor as a scarecrow. Mother wonders about his clothes, but no fuss is made. And, of course, Peter feels unwell and is put to bed and given some tea (just tea, not camomile tea). Cute, great for little ones and the text hits all the relevant points. The illustrations are a bit on the dark side, and are a bit small.

ISBN 1569870217 The Tale of Peter Rabbit (3 stars) - Hardcover edition. This is the basic story with few frills. The illustrations are average and have nothing in the way of surprises. Not a bad book, but certainly not a great re-telling of this tale.

ISBN 1569870675 The Tale of Peter Rabbit (5 stars) - This copy is a hardcover, most suitable to children whose little fingers can handle the pages. It's also 24 pages long - just long enough for beginning readers. Father still ends up in a pie, Peter still disobeys his mother and goes into Mr MacGregor's garden. The chase in this book is better written than 1569870217 (above), with a mention of Peter's cousin, Benjamin Bunny, as a nice way to introduce your children to other Potter books. Peter still ends up barely escaping, losing all his clothes to Mr MacGregor, and arriving home sick. This copy has more detail, and much nicer illustrations than others. Peter, when caught up in the gooseberry net, or with a tear in his eye as he tries to ask directions of the mouse, are wonderfully done. I'd never have thought there could be such a difference between various copies of the same story, but you learn something new every day - unlike Peter, who just can't seem to learn and has lost his second set of clothing in a fortnight (nice detail)!

ISBN 0723244324 The Tale of Peter Rabbit Story Board Book (Potter) (4 stars) - Board book binding, best for very young children whose fingers can't manipulate paper pages easily. There are a couple differences in this book: Father and his ignoble end as pie filling aren't mentioned. The fact that Peter returns home sick is left out, so his mother merely puts him to bed with camomile tea for no apparent reason and no fuss is made over his missing jacket. This version is greatly abridged, but is an okay introduction for little ones. The illustrations are full of lots of details and are very much on the pastel side, which I don't like, but that's common with Potter's tales.

- AnnaLovesBooks (less)

like · see review

Apr 20, 2013 Nadine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, classics

Mischievous Peter rabbit has been warned not to enter Mr. Gregor's garden 'cause his father did and turned into a rabbit pie later. He disobey, nearly got caught, and as soon as he got home, he felt sick so he only got Chamomile Tea in Bed while his siblings Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail had delicious Bread, Milk, and Blackberries for supper. he soon learned that it is important to obey the rules and listen to his Mother's advice.

I read it when I was like four or five and I loved this book so mu...more

like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Eva Murphy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This a great book for young children and one of my favorite child hood books. It is a fictional book based on Peter Rabbit.
While his mother is out he and his siblings go to play however the are warned to stay out of Mr. McGregor's garden. Peter is full of mischief and curiosity and enters Mr. McGregor's garden and starts to eat his vegetables but he gets caught eating them and Mr. McGregor tries to catch him. Luckily in the end with the help of the sparrows Peter escapes Mr. McGregor's garden s...more

like 1 like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Children's Book A...: Beatrix Potter...a legendary Children's book author and illustrator	2	13	May 01, 2012 03:16pm
MCC Children's Li...: Challice - NY #2	2	2	Feb 11, 2012 09:00pm
Children's Book C...: Free eBook - The Tale of Peter Rabbit	1	5	Nov 28, 2011 11:26am

combine
Other Editions (217)

More editions...

Videos About This Book

Add a comment

Genres

Childrens

742 users

Classics

534 users

Childrens > Picture Books

323 users

Animals

99 users

Fantasy

66 users

Childrens > Juvenile

33 users

Kids

27 users

Young Adult

23 users

European Literature > British Literature

18 users

Childrens > Childrens Classics

17 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Beatrix Potter

Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, mycologist, and conservationist who was best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit.

Born into a privileged household, Potter was educated by governesses, and grew up isolated from other children. She had numerous pets and through holidays in Scotland and the Lake District developed a love of lan...more

More about Beatrix Potter...

Books by Beatrix Potter

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Tale of Peter...

10 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Tale of Peter Rabbit

“Peter was not very well during the evening. His mother put him to bed, and made some chamomile tea: "One table-spoonful to be taken at bedtime.” — 7 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
avg rating	preview: The Tale of Peter Rabbit Goodreads rating: 4.15 (73740 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19321.The_Tale_of_Peter_Rabbit?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359980434l/19321.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19321.The_Tale_of_Peter_Rabbit?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter[/url]

The Tale of Peter Rabbit (The World of Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website