Beatrix Potter's Early Sketches

At the start of our picture book unit we read The Tale of Peter Rabbit. I was extremely fascinated by Beatrix Potter's illustrations, and I began to research the author's early work. I found that Beatrix Potter began sketching the characters the we see in her stories today in her childhood. They may still be viewed today in her school journals. The top illustration is an example of Potter's drawings. The drawings ranged from caterpillars to rabbits playing in the snow. Secondly, the bottom sketch located above is one of Beatrix's Potter's picture letters. I discovered that Potter spent many of her early literary years writing letters to children that she knew. In her letters she would include a sketch of an animal character with a black pen. The particular illustration above shows Potter's original tale of Peter Rabbit that she composed for a child named Noel Moore in September of 1893. She dedicated several of her later picture letters to Noah Moore in 1901. In this particular child's letter, Potter included a story of naughty squirrels. There is much to be gained by analyzing Beatrix Potter's early works. Not only do we get the opportunity to see into Potter's mind, but we also experience the love and adoration that she withheld for children.