Helen Beatrix Potter (28 July 1866 22 December 1943) was an
English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best
known for her imaginative childrens books featuring animals such
as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape
and country life.
Born into a privileged Unitarian family, Potter, along with her younger
brother, Walter Bertram (18721918), grew up with few friends outside
her large extended family. Her parents were artistic, interested in nature
and enjoyed the countryside. As children, Beatrix and Bertram had numerous
small animals as pets which they observed closely and drew endlessly. Summer
holidays were spent in Scotland and in the English Lake District where
Beatrix developed a love of the natural world which was the subject of
her painting from an early age.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
by Beatrix Potter
(1902) Click
here to read as a webpage