Beatrix Potter books are having some of a renaissance at our house. In the UK, it’s almost impossible to escape Peter Rabbit themed merchandise and I’m sure that has in turn lead us to rediscover the series.

Having now lived in three different countries, I am always fascinated by how different authors or series make their mark. In Australia we immersed ourselves in books written by Mem Fox and Alison Lester - authors i’d never heard of it in the UK. Here, Julia Donaldson tends to dominate the picture book market, but Beatrix Potter remains as relevant as ever.

But with the current AI trend for Beatrix Potter style art going viral, I thought it was time to revisit the brilliance of Beatrix Potter.

Why I’m a Beatrix Potter Fan

Recently, I’ve spent many hours finding out more about Beatrix Potter the author for an upcoming project that i’ll share here soon. After reading biographies and watching documentaries, I was full of admiration for a woman who was well ahead of her time. I found her tenacious spirit and entrepreneurial attitude inspirational. It made me think of the barriers I often put in my own way and whether I should be approaching life a little bit differently.

One of the reasons I dislike the current AI trend is because it takes away from Beatrix Potter’s dedication to the study of animals. In addition to her literary talents, Beatrix can also be described as a scientist, preservationist, entrepreneur and farmer. So to reduce her work to a quick (and often inaccurate) AI rendering feels wrong.

Educated at home, Beatrix spent her time observing and illustrating the animals she kept as pets. By her early twenties, frequent visits to the The Natural History Museum honed her skills further and she dedicated herself to drawing the plants and animals she studied under the microscope. In 1897, her paper on mycology, ‘On the Germination of the Spores of Agaricineae,’ was presented to a meeting of the Linnean Society - albeit by a Kew Gardens mycologist as women were not allowed to attend.

It’s fair to say that, despite being born into a life of privilege, Beatrix faced many struggles and her path to success wasn’t clear cut. In fact, she was so fed up after receiving countless rejection letters from publishers that she decided to self-publish - something I had always believed to be a recent phenomenon. In 1901 she printed and sold 250 copies of Peter Rabbit before her agreement with Frederick Warne & Co.

And if you’ve ever wondered if Beatrix Potter would be rolling her eyes at all of the Peter Rabbit & Friends merchandise, you would in fact be wrong. Potter was something of a pioneer when it came to licensing her characters. She first patented Peter Rabbit in 1903, followed by board games, figurines, tea sets and puzzles, amongst other things.

After the tragedy of losing her fiance, Norman Warne, in 1905, Beatrix moved to the Lake District where she became heavily involved in the conservation of the local area. She was close friends with Canon Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley, one of the original founders of the National Trust. Her farm, Hill Top House and other properties were bequeathed to the National Trust upon her death. Today the farm is visited by over 10,000 tourists every year.

Why we love to read Peter Rabbit & Friends

An Immersive World

Because Beatrix Potter was a naturalist, her books, with their detailed illustrations, often form part of our nature studies. We now live in the English countryside and it’s quite easy to immerse ourselves in a world very similar to that of Peter Rabbit and his many famous friends.

When wandering through the local community allotments, it’s not too hard to imagine Mr McGregor chasing Peter.

Fox dens and badgers setts in the nearby fields make us wonder whether Mr Tod and Tommy Brock are lurking near.

And of course, the UK isn’t without it’s Beatrix Potter attractions. Whilst we haven’t made it to Hill Top yet, we did visit The House of the Tailor of Gloucester recently.

The museum was the house Beatrix Potter chose to draw whilst visiting Gloucester and it later inspired the story, The Tailor of Gloucester.

Short Stories for Afternoon Teatime

My two youngest children attend the local primary school, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t participate in afternoon tea reading sessions. Along with poetry, Beatrix Potter’s short stories are an ideal read.

In fact, I don’t understand why Beatrix Potter books are gifted to babies and donated to charity a few years later! Many parents mistakenly purge picture books when their children reach primary school, however I genuinely believe Peter Rabbit is one for keeps.

Whilst short, the vocabulary is rich. Indeed, one of the reasons we focus on children’s classics is because of the language. Recently, we found ourselves looking up the definition of ‘soporific’ after reading the word in The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.

And although some of the stories are quite questionable by modern standards, they also provide rich discussion points.

Share your thoughts

Do you love Beatrix Potter stories? What’s your favourite story? I’d love to read your views!

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It’s fair to say that Brambly Hedge is having a pop culture moment. I see constant references to it all over social media but then again, maybe that’s just my algorithm. 

I was first introduced to the series during my own 1980s childhood. Growing up in the English countryside, the bucolic images were all too easy to imagine. The series was comforting and, for a child who spent a lot of time in the world of make-believe, I loved imagining a hidden world of anthropomorphic field mice in the forests and fields near my house. 

Fast-forward 30ish years and I am fully immersed in the world of Brambly Hedge once more. Maybe it’s because I’ve just moved back to the small English village that I grew up in after 10 years of expat city life. Or maybe it’s because like many millennials, I’m craving a slower pace of life. 

But what is it exactly that makes Brambly Hedge so appealing? I’ve recently re-read all of the stories to my children and here are my personal thoughts.

Wholesome Storytelling

The stories themselves are very gentle. Slightly longer than the average children’s book, they make an ideal transition for young children who are not quite ready for chapter books.

My 8 year-old daughter likes to re-read the series in between longer novels, sometimes opting for a short Brambly Hedge story as a way to decompress after school. The stories act like an insight into family life in a countryside community, focusing on events such as the harvest or seasonal celebrations.

The Brambly Hedge stories have gone hand-in-hand with my own children’s storytelling during play. I often find them recreating the Brambly Hedge world with Maileg mice. And if that all sounds a little tooth-achingly sweet, then you probably should check out my original Substack for my insights into play-based learning.

In the world of Brambly Hedge, there is very little threat. Or at least, nothing truly terrifying. When the young mouse Primrose goes missing in Autumn Story, we know that everything will work out in the end. The same can be said for The High Hills and Sea Story where any mishaps are short-lived. When we compare these mice to the ones in other stories, The Gruffalo for example, they live a very genteel life that is comforting. 

Ultimately, if you’re having a bad day or modern life is getting a little crazy, reading a Brambly Hedge book is the ideal antidote. 

Gorgeous Illustrations 

In my opinion, the quality of Jill Barklem’s illustrations far surpasses most children’s books available today.  The illustrations are incredibly detailed and it’s all too easy to find yourself immersed in the world of Brambly Hedge mice. 

Every time I read the series to my own children, I find myself discovering new details. Brambly Hedge is a series that you don’t rush through. There are no quick turns of the page or skipping over the illustrations in favour of the written text. 

The illustrations are cosy and, despite being written in the 1980s, are more evocative of Edwardian era England. The Edwardian era itself has often been viewed as the period when childhood was invented1. There certainly was a proliferation of children’s writers during that period including Lewis Carroll, JM Barrie and Beatrix Potter. It leaves me wondering if the illustrations themselves were a nod to that specific time period and it’s connections with childhood ideals.

I also love that these illustrations put a certain expectation on the reader. There is no assumption that the audience needs a very basic drawing in primary colours. In the world of Brambly Hedge, the illustrations are just as important as the story.

It isn’t just the quality of illustrations but the research that went into each page. The attention to detail visible in the homes of the mice, the food and festivals helps us to feel fully immersed in the world of the Brambly Hedge mice. 

In a The Guardian article from 2023, Jill Barklem’s son, Peter, states:

‘One of the wonderful things about Mum’s books is that you can take them out into green spaces and observe the leaves and flowers in front of you in the same way that they appear on the pages, such was the accuracy of her research and the detail of her illustrations’

‘Jill Barklem’s family find tree that inspired her Brambly Hedge tales’ by Sarah Shaffi 4/04/23

Celebrating the Changing Seasons 

I’ve long been a believer in seasonal rhythms. Celebrating each season as it comes has helped both me and my family to enjoy life year-round. We aren’t just waiting out for Christmas or the summer holidays. When you adopt a seasonal approach to life, there is more to look forward to. 

And so for me, one of the biggest appeals of Brambly Hedge is the focus on seasonal events. The original 4 books (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter), each give us insight into life and celebrations during the seasons. 

As an outdoorsy family, we love to spot Brambly Hedge in the real world as the seasons change. It makes us more aware and mindful of the natural world that surrounds us. The children love to compare the real-world blackberry bushes and apple trees we see out in the countryside to those in Brambly Hedge. It’s fair to say that the series has also inspired us to make more homemade pies, cakes and crumbles too!

Share your thoughts!

Do you love Brambly Hedge? I’d love to hear your thoughts…

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