If you would like to learn more about Beatix Potter, we found these sources provided great information! Happy reading!
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978.
Mackey, Margaret. The Case of Peter Rabbit, Changing Conditions of Literature for Children. Garland Publishing: New York, 1998.
Potter, Beatrix. The Art of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1955.
Potter, Beatrix. The Journal of Beatrix Potter, from 1881-1897. Translated by Leslie Linder. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1966.
“The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter.” Film, 2002.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A Note from the Creators
Hello our dear readers! We hope you have enjoyed keeping up with Beatrix and her blog. We guess you figured out that Beatrix was not really the author of this post, and the masterminds are actually two college students named Kristina and Kathryn. We hope you learned some things about Beatrix that you did not know before and that the description of a selection of her books have encouraged you to read some of her adorable stories. What did you find most interesting? We would love it if you would comment on any of the posts you read and if you have a questions for "Beatrix" we would love to answer them.
We also would like to mention that because Beatrix was not the real author of the blog, anything in quoatation marks was a direct quote from Beatrix's journal The Journal of Beatrix Potter, 1891-1897. The only exception is the caterpillar quote which was attained from The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. So while we tried to stay true to Beatrix's personality and writing style please keep in mind that this is only an interpretation of the author based on weeks of research.
As much as we enjoy making blogs, we also saw this blog as an opportunity to enhance our future career goals. Please take the time to read them below!
Kristina Koford:
After graduating I plan to become a librarian. I view this blog “by Beatrix Potter,” as part of a larger project in which librarians in collaboration with teachers would create several blogs by deceased authors. The purpose is to educate the public, both children and adults, about a certain author, in this case Beatrix Potter. For this project to be successful, the librarian would need to contact schools and teachers to let them know about it. They should also send information on how teachers can use these websites with their classes- not just for learning about the author, but also computer and Internet literacy. Many students may not have much experience with blogs, and this one would be a friendly introduction to them and help them to learn about their structure and format (how to find past posts, how to find all articles labeled with a particular tag, etc). On a personal level,
doing this project as a blog, helped me to learn more about this type of information medium. I read blogs daily, but do not write any. This was an educational introduction of what this medium is capable of accomplishing.
Kathryn Van Dyke:
After graduating I plan to become an elementary school teacher and two of my primary goals are to encourage a lifelong love of reading and instill a sense of discovery within my students. I envisioned this blog as applicable in an elementary classroom in which students use technology to learn about a particular author or series of books. By discovering the information on their own and not being told directly by the teacher, the students will feel more interested in the topic/author because they are an essential part of the learning process. This blog also gives students the opportunity to read and strengthen their literacy proficiency without feeling intimidated or bored by the monotonous details of some biographies. Also, technology is only going to become more present in elementary classrooms and this format encourages students to use a computer in a educational and (hopefully) entertaining way.
This blog also has many areas for extension that I could easily use in the classroom as a teacher. Students could comment and write their own responses, ask the author questions, and pictures could be uploaded. I enjoyed discovering the capabilities of this blog and using the evaluative criteria from Huck's Children's Literature to summarize and study Potter's charming books.
We also would like to mention that because Beatrix was not the real author of the blog, anything in quoatation marks was a direct quote from Beatrix's journal The Journal of Beatrix Potter, 1891-1897. The only exception is the caterpillar quote which was attained from The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. So while we tried to stay true to Beatrix's personality and writing style please keep in mind that this is only an interpretation of the author based on weeks of research.
As much as we enjoy making blogs, we also saw this blog as an opportunity to enhance our future career goals. Please take the time to read them below!
Kristina Koford:
After graduating I plan to become a librarian. I view this blog “by Beatrix Potter,” as part of a larger project in which librarians in collaboration with teachers would create several blogs by deceased authors. The purpose is to educate the public, both children and adults, about a certain author, in this case Beatrix Potter. For this project to be successful, the librarian would need to contact schools and teachers to let them know about it. They should also send information on how teachers can use these websites with their classes- not just for learning about the author, but also computer and Internet literacy. Many students may not have much experience with blogs, and this one would be a friendly introduction to them and help them to learn about their structure and format (how to find past posts, how to find all articles labeled with a particular tag, etc). On a personal level,
doing this project as a blog, helped me to learn more about this type of information medium. I read blogs daily, but do not write any. This was an educational introduction of what this medium is capable of accomplishing.
Kathryn Van Dyke:
After graduating I plan to become an elementary school teacher and two of my primary goals are to encourage a lifelong love of reading and instill a sense of discovery within my students. I envisioned this blog as applicable in an elementary classroom in which students use technology to learn about a particular author or series of books. By discovering the information on their own and not being told directly by the teacher, the students will feel more interested in the topic/author because they are an essential part of the learning process. This blog also gives students the opportunity to read and strengthen their literacy proficiency without feeling intimidated or bored by the monotonous details of some biographies. Also, technology is only going to become more present in elementary classrooms and this format encourages students to use a computer in a educational and (hopefully) entertaining way.
This blog also has many areas for extension that I could easily use in the classroom as a teacher. Students could comment and write their own responses, ask the author questions, and pictures could be uploaded. I enjoyed discovering the capabilities of this blog and using the evaluative criteria from Huck's Children's Literature to summarize and study Potter's charming books.
The Sly Old Cat
The last book I will describe to you all, dear readers, is The Sly Old Cat. I wrote this story in 1906 for my publisher's daughter, however around this time people were starting to object to the miniature size and delicacy of my books. So time passed and eventually The Sly Old Cat could be published, but by this time I had moved onto other books and did not want to spend the time creating new drawings for its publication. So the manuscript stayed in my workroom until one day, in 1971, someone got a hold of it and published the story with my original sketches. So this book is the bare bones, the first edition. You get a nice glimpse into a rough draft. Do you ever write rough drafts of your stories? I think that is necessary for all stories.
But now once again I have got caught up in the back story of my tale and I would like to tell you all about the Sly Old Cat. This short story is about a very sneaky cat, and is most appropriate for younger children. Maybe you could read this story to a younger sibling of yours, dear reader.
This story begins as many of mine do, with two animals planning to have a party. The cat invited a rat over for tea. The rat came to the cat's house dressed in his nicest clothes and enters the kitchen where the tea party was being held. Although the cat was polite to the rat at first, by pulling out his chair for him, her politeness stops there. The cat insists that she will eat first, leaving only crumbs for the rat; the cat announces that she will drink tea first, and the rat will only have the drops of what's left. Before the cat drinks her tea she also mentions that she will eat her dessert first, and THEN the rat can eat dessert.
So naturally, the rat was very put off by Cat's uncouth nature and was also convinced that Cat had plans to eat him for dessert. As the greeedy cat pulled the milk jug up to her lips with her, the quick thinking rat jumped onto the jug and forced it over the cat's head. As Cat fell off her stool and ran around the room trying to get the jug off, Rat drank tea and observed the hilarious scene from atop the table. Before he left, leaving the cat in despair he also took a muffin to eat for dinner. Rat scurried away and never dared go near the cat again. And do you know what happened to the cat? Well, the only way she got the jug off her head was to smash it into pieces against a table leg. You can imagine that the cook was not happy about that. And that was the end of that terrible cat.
But now once again I have got caught up in the back story of my tale and I would like to tell you all about the Sly Old Cat. This short story is about a very sneaky cat, and is most appropriate for younger children. Maybe you could read this story to a younger sibling of yours, dear reader.
This story begins as many of mine do, with two animals planning to have a party. The cat invited a rat over for tea. The rat came to the cat's house dressed in his nicest clothes and enters the kitchen where the tea party was being held. Although the cat was polite to the rat at first, by pulling out his chair for him, her politeness stops there. The cat insists that she will eat first, leaving only crumbs for the rat; the cat announces that she will drink tea first, and the rat will only have the drops of what's left. Before the cat drinks her tea she also mentions that she will eat her dessert first, and THEN the rat can eat dessert.
So naturally, the rat was very put off by Cat's uncouth nature and was also convinced that Cat had plans to eat him for dessert. As the greeedy cat pulled the milk jug up to her lips with her, the quick thinking rat jumped onto the jug and forced it over the cat's head. As Cat fell off her stool and ran around the room trying to get the jug off, Rat drank tea and observed the hilarious scene from atop the table. Before he left, leaving the cat in despair he also took a muffin to eat for dinner. Rat scurried away and never dared go near the cat again. And do you know what happened to the cat? Well, the only way she got the jug off her head was to smash it into pieces against a table leg. You can imagine that the cook was not happy about that. And that was the end of that terrible cat.
Activity Ideas
As I write this little blog of mine, it occurs to me that there might be teachers and parents who read this and think to themselves, "My wouldn't it be nice if there were activities to go along with this blog?"
I therefore will offer some ideas:
*Internet Literacy- go over blog concepts with the students. Topics to cover include, the title of the blog, figuring out what the blog is about, what posts are, and how labels or tags can help the reader to find everything in the blog on that subject.
*Have them read any three posts that review the books. Then have them put in order which books they would like to read next, along with a sentence for each one that says explains why.
*Create a scavenger hunt. Ask them questions that will require them to look over the blog to find the answers. For example, you can have them write down all the post titles in which "Peter Rabbit" is labeled, and "How much land did Beatrix donate to the National Trust?"
If any of you have ideas, please leave a comment to share it with other readers!
I therefore will offer some ideas:
*Internet Literacy- go over blog concepts with the students. Topics to cover include, the title of the blog, figuring out what the blog is about, what posts are, and how labels or tags can help the reader to find everything in the blog on that subject.
*Have them read any three posts that review the books. Then have them put in order which books they would like to read next, along with a sentence for each one that says explains why.
*Create a scavenger hunt. Ask them questions that will require them to look over the blog to find the answers. For example, you can have them write down all the post titles in which "Peter Rabbit" is labeled, and "How much land did Beatrix donate to the National Trust?"
If any of you have ideas, please leave a comment to share it with other readers!
Summer Holidays
Every year my parents would travel to Scotland and rent Dalguise House for us to stay. Oh, how wonderful those times were to me!
“I was a child then, I had no idea what the world would be like… Everything was romantic in my imagination… I remember every stone, every tree, the scent of the heather, the murmuring of the wind through the fir trees. Even when the thunder growled in the distance, and the wind swept up the valley in fearful gusts, oh, it was always beautiful, home sweet home. I knew nothing of trouble then.”
It was there while walking through the landscape, that I was able to nourish my love for nature and inspired my interest in natural history (which I have already posted about here).
I suppose it should be no surprise that I would take such a strong interest in environmental conservation and purchase so much farmland as an adult!
Sources
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp. 19-23. (Quote, p 21-22).
“I was a child then, I had no idea what the world would be like… Everything was romantic in my imagination… I remember every stone, every tree, the scent of the heather, the murmuring of the wind through the fir trees. Even when the thunder growled in the distance, and the wind swept up the valley in fearful gusts, oh, it was always beautiful, home sweet home. I knew nothing of trouble then.”
It was there while walking through the landscape, that I was able to nourish my love for nature and inspired my interest in natural history (which I have already posted about here).
I suppose it should be no surprise that I would take such a strong interest in environmental conservation and purchase so much farmland as an adult!
Sources
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp. 19-23. (Quote, p 21-22).
Farms and the National Trust
Because of the success of my little books, I found myself with a great sum of money large enough to purchase my own farm. I bought Hill Top in 1905, but was not able to live there year round as I would have wished. You see, dear reader, women who had not married during this time, were not allowed to be on their own (there was not a law against it, but to do so would be looked down upon by everyone), and my mother was no exception. She made it clear to me that she needed me at home, so I had to make do with visiting my farm as much as possible.
To take care of my land since I could not be there year round, I employed Mr. and Mrs. Cannon. My farm offered great inspiration to me- I loved to paint and draw the land, the gardens, and the home. I loved to go for walks around the area- it was so beautiful and peaceful.
As the years past, I bough more land, and as I bought more land, I became more and more involved in environmental conservation. Do you know what that means? That means that I prevented the land in my beloved Lake District from being ruined by railways, forestry (in which all the trees would have been chopped down), and turning the whole area into a city like London. Since we already had one London, we did not need another. Instead, we needed to preserve farmland, a way that kept the land as close to nature as possible.
I eventually donated 4,000 acres of farmland to England’s National Trust, which preserves land so that people for years to come may it enjoy it as I do.
Source
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp.140-141.
Mackey, Margaret. The Case of Peter Rabbit, Changing Conditions of Literature for Children. Garland Publishing: New York, 1998, pp. 130-131.
“The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter.” Film, 2002.
To take care of my land since I could not be there year round, I employed Mr. and Mrs. Cannon. My farm offered great inspiration to me- I loved to paint and draw the land, the gardens, and the home. I loved to go for walks around the area- it was so beautiful and peaceful.
As the years past, I bough more land, and as I bought more land, I became more and more involved in environmental conservation. Do you know what that means? That means that I prevented the land in my beloved Lake District from being ruined by railways, forestry (in which all the trees would have been chopped down), and turning the whole area into a city like London. Since we already had one London, we did not need another. Instead, we needed to preserve farmland, a way that kept the land as close to nature as possible.
I eventually donated 4,000 acres of farmland to England’s National Trust, which preserves land so that people for years to come may it enjoy it as I do.
Source
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp.140-141.
Mackey, Margaret. The Case of Peter Rabbit, Changing Conditions of Literature for Children. Garland Publishing: New York, 1998, pp. 130-131.
“The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter.” Film, 2002.
Book Inspirations
A common question I am asked is where I get my inspiration for my characters. The answer is that I am inspired from many different things! But if you are seeking something more specific, you may read the following:
Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny were both pets I kept.
The Tailor of Gloucester was a real tailor in Gloucester! (and a true story, except that the tailor’s assistants helped him out, and not mice. But mice are so enchanting, do you not think so?)
Hunca Munca, of The Tale of Two Bad Mice fame, was another pet had at the time, as was Mrs. Tiggy-winkle.
Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit and the kittens (including Tom) are based from little kitties that ran about at my farm in the Lake District called Hill Top.
Jemima Puddle-duck as a duck at Hill Top. And because ducks often forget to sit on their eggs to help them hatch, the farmer’s wife would take the duck eggs and place them under the chickens. But Jemima really did try hard to keep track of them and found a nest quite far from the farm eventually.
And, many of the settings were based from Hill Top and the village of Sawrey- a lovely place to be!
Sources
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp. 49, 72, 82, 132, 152, 155, 181.
Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny were both pets I kept.
The Tailor of Gloucester was a real tailor in Gloucester! (and a true story, except that the tailor’s assistants helped him out, and not mice. But mice are so enchanting, do you not think so?)
Hunca Munca, of The Tale of Two Bad Mice fame, was another pet had at the time, as was Mrs. Tiggy-winkle.
Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit and the kittens (including Tom) are based from little kitties that ran about at my farm in the Lake District called Hill Top.
Jemima Puddle-duck as a duck at Hill Top. And because ducks often forget to sit on their eggs to help them hatch, the farmer’s wife would take the duck eggs and place them under the chickens. But Jemima really did try hard to keep track of them and found a nest quite far from the farm eventually.
And, many of the settings were based from Hill Top and the village of Sawrey- a lovely place to be!
Sources
Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Beatrix Potter. Frederick Warne Publishers: London, 1978, pp. 49, 72, 82, 132, 152, 155, 181.
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