In the summer of 2010, Frederick Warne, the publisher of the Peter Rabbit stories by Beatrix Potter, invited Emma Thompson to write a sequel. The way they approached her must be unique - and proved to be irresistible. In the introduction to The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit the author tells how the story came about.
In Emma Thompson's post one day, she received a small cardboard box containing a half-eaten radish leaf and a letter from Peter Rabbit, saying that a "certain mischievous twinkle" in her eye had made her the perfect person to write another story about his adventures. And so has proved to be the case. Emma Thompson's witty, sensitive scripts and screenplays did indeed make her the perfect candidate, and this story, which was published in 2012 for the 110th anniversary of the book’s original publication, is as charming as you would expect. Of the letter, she has said,
"It was such a witty invitation, and it was very clever because in a sense I was completely tricked. If they had sent some official letter I would have said don’t be ridiculous, I can’t think of anything I want to do less than step into the footsteps of a genius like Potter."
Emma Thompson, like thousands of children around the world, grew up with the tales of Peter Rabbit, and his friends, other woodland and farm animals. They are anthropomorphic characters who wear clothes and behave much as their human counterparts do. In her case the stories were read aloud to her by her father Eric Thompson, who is famous for adapting and narrating the TV series "The Magic Roundabout". She has combined these memories with other childhood memories of visits to Scotland, and this story is set there too, partly as a homage to Beatrix Potter's love for Scotland.
Peter Rabbit is completely in character. He is as mischievous as ever, getting into trouble by squeezing under the gate into Mr McGregor’s garden, in a way which will delight all children, and feel very familiar to readers who already know him. His greed for the cheese and pickle sandwich inside inside a picnic basket proves too strong ... and before you can say "Peter Rabbit", he has been inadvertently whisked away to an unfamiliar place, peopled with huge and very scary rabbits, such as Finlay McBurney,
"a huge black rabbit in a kilt, a dagger thrust into the top of his laced-up boot."
But all is well, as the giant turns out to be his cousin. In the story there is mention of tartans and turnips, radishes and haggis - and the plot hinges on a quirky interpretation of the Highland Games. The description of these will bring a smile of recognition to many readers' faces,
"Most of them involved throwing something very heavy as far a possible ... Quite soon Peter thought it very boring."
Peter is soon up to his naughty tricks, gets into trouble, feels guilty when he receives something to which he is not entitled, and ends up feeling sad and homesick. Children all over will identify with this lovable rogue.
The illustrations to the story are also excellent, with a naturalistic environment very much in the original gentle watercolour style of Beatrix Potter herself. The artist is Eleanor Taylor, who grew up in Scotland and England. She has perfectly captured the characters we know so well.
It is interesting to remember that the impetus for this book came from the publishers Frederick Warne. Beatrix Potter had a uniquely close relationship with this publisher. One editor there, Norman Warne, had originally encouraged her to write her stories. She fell in love with him and they got engaged, even though her parents disapproved. Sadly though, a month later, Norman died. Frederick Warne clearly wanted to use a personal touch for commemorating the 110th anniversary, and wanted a sensitive writer to recapture the magic of the original stories. The letter to Emma Thompson parallels the way the stories initially came about. In 1893 Beatrix Potter had heard that a young child she knew was unwell. She then wrote a story to cheer him up, and sent it as a letter. The characters she invented - Peter Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, and the fearsome gardener, Mr McGregor, have gone down in history.
The story has been additionally published in the original miniature size of Beatrix Potter's books, but the one reviewed here is a full-size picture book, with a CD of Emma Thompson reading it affixed inside the back cover. A year later, in 2013, Emma Thomson also wrote a further sequel, entitled, "The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit". As Emma Thompson observes,
"Potter didn’t write for children, she wrote for everyone."