Born into wealth in 1860's London, Beatrix Potter always had a vivid
imagination. Her early interests included natural history and
archaeology, and Potter delighted in sketching fossils and fungi. After
briefly illustrating Christmas cards with her brother, Bertram, Potter
wrote and illustrated her well-known book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
The book was rejected by several publishes until Frederick Warne
eventually took a risk and published the story in 1902 - a risk that
paid off. Peter Rabbit was a huge success and readers loved hearing
about Peter's mischevious adventures in the lush English countryside. As
she got older, Beatrix Potter became a proud conservationist, working
hard to defend the landscape she loved so well against industrialization
and logging. Now over one hundred years old, Peter Rabbit and his
animal friends have become cultural touchstones and continue to delight
readers of all ages.