Beatrix Potter: The Story of the Creator of Peter Rabbit

by Elizabeth Buchan

A biography of the creator of "Peter Rabbit" and many other books whose characters became world famous

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Childrens

64 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1987

About the author

Elizabeth Buchan began her career as a blurb writer at Penguin Books after graduating from the University of Kent with a double degree in English and History. She moved on to become a fiction editor at Random House before leaving to write full time. Her novels include the prizewinning Consider the Lily – reviewed in the Independent as ‘a gorgeously well written tale: funny, sad and sophisticated’. A subsequent novel, Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman became an international bestseller and was made into a CBS Primetime Drama. Later novels included The Second Wife, Separate Beds and Daughters. Her latest, I Can’t Begin to Tell You, a story of resistance in wartime Denmark, was published by Penguin in August 2014.

Elizabeth Buchan’s short stories are broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and published in magazines. She reviews for the Sunday Times and the Daily Mail, and has chaired the Betty Trask and Desmond Elliot literary prizes, and also been a judge for the Whitbread First Novel Award and for 2014 Costa Novel Award. She is a patron of the Guildford Book Festival and of The National Academy of Writing, and sits on the author committee for The Reading Agency.

Reviews

[Cheryl]

An illustrated telling of how parental suppression can lead to such imaginative outlets (tho perhaps not exactly Buchan’s intent) This is a beautiful synopsis of the life of one of the greatest children’s authors of all time. Her childhood of monetary privilege and neglect. Tho her father nurtured her creative flair, her mother could not be bothered, yet fully expected Beatrix to be their constant care taker as they aged.
The many sadness’s she endured, be that of the loss of a pet, friend or fiancé, were but stones in her formidable foundation. A highly successful woman who knew to make her own demands, she still cared deeply for the innocent and lesser do’s.
Filled with early (and late) photos and her own illustrations, the behind the set divulging of how her numerous characters came to play. What an amazing talent and mind.
She was also a healthy land owner and farmer, of which she preferred to focus her later years on maintaining.
A splendid telling of a quintessentially life in literature.

[Laurie S.]

Beatrice lived in a time of suppression for women. She used her creativity during these relenting times to keep her sanity. During her adult years she bought over 4,000 acres. All of her land was given to the National Trust.

[Stormy]

This is a short but pleasant summary of Beatrix Potter’s life. There was not much new material in it but it is illustrated with sketches I hadn’t seen before and some illustrated letters she had sent to children she knew.

[Donna Pfeiffer]

I could not find a longer biography in our area about Beatrix, which was disappointing. This book gave a very concise portrayal but would have liked to learn more. She was very talented artistically but did not have the support of her family to encourage her talents.

[Susan Honthumb]

Quick read. I had never read about Beatrix Potter. I will look for more books to read about her.

[Cathy]

quite an untold story of a VERY famous person

[Lauren]

Good information but not well written. More like a book report by a 5th grader.

[Sarah Coller]

2026 review: I reread this today after rereading a few of her children's books. It was an interesting overview. I'd like to read something more detailed soon. I was sad for how much time she lost trying to get out from under the thumb of her parents but also weirded out that it took her so long to do so. I thought it was sweet that she wanted her books designed to be easily handled by children. All the versions I have are either very small or very large --- both perfect for kids.

2021 review: I really enjoyed this little biography of Beatrix Potter, likely written for older grade school children. I especially liked imagining her sketching at the Natural History Museum---a place I've visited, as well! I imagine I'll be a frumpy cottage hermit like her one day. Oh, what am I saying---I already am!

[Tammy]

This short biography is a delightful and informative read filled with Beatrix Potter's illustrations and family photos.

[Rosalyn]

This book was not as detailed as I had hoped for - I need to search further afield for more on the life of this extraordinary woman.