One of my all-time favorite children’s books is Beatrix Potter’s famous tale of a naughty little rabbit named Peter who disobeys his mother and strays into Mr. MacGregor’s garden. Most gardeners would agree with the crotchety old farmer who chases Peter hither and yon. After all, rabbits are not welcome there.
Mrs. Rabbit gives stern warning to the bunnies. “Your father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. MacGregor.” Potter even depicts the plump farmer’s wife serving a succulent pie to the family. Now that is a way to capture the attention of young readers. The author does not sugarcoat the story. Bunnies, listen up! You could die if you go under that garden fence.
Of course, rebellious Peter does not listen, and the chase is on. Any decent story worth its salt needs plenty of tension. Mr. MacGregor grabs his rake, tries to capture him in a sieve until Peter is caught in a gooseberry net. Our miscreant bunny is sure he will die and cries big tears. Friendly sparrows bring encouragement in words that are not dumbed down…they “implore him to exert himself.” Repentance is near!
One critic called The Tale of Peter Rabbit “the perfect marriage of word and image.” Every aspect of Potter’s masterpiece draws children into the story. Character, plot, and setting are all in perfect balance. Each illustration is low to the ground and close up, placing us in the action. Potter’s watercolors are renowned for her mastery of the art and her keen powers of observation.
Parents…don’t be fooled by “knock-off” copies of Potter’s classic. My own kids probably remember me complain about these rip-off artists. Buy the original. It is amazing to watch the concentration in a small child as he studies Potter’s art. Guess what? He is being absorbed in beauty in a most entertaining way. It will be our little secret that Potter is also teaching children to listen to parental admonitions. After all, they don’t want to end up in a meat pie!
Kathy Swegart is a best-selling author of award-winning children's books with a Masters in Education from Boston College. She is the mother of three and the grandmother of many book-loving children. You can catch up with her on her website: http://kathrynswegart.com/
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