Picture Book: The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Beatrix Potter

This is a delightful little story about a duck who insists on sitting her own eggs.  The duck's pride almost gets the duck eaten by the sly fox who offers his back shed for the sitting on the eggs.  However, Jemima had told a dog what she was about, which sparked an investigation and in the end saved Jemima, although they were the worse for wear for their efforts.  Jemima was allowed to sit some eggs, but proved to not be a very good sitter as only a few eggs hatched.

Picture Book Review: The Tale of Tom Kitten, Beatrix Potter

The tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter, Frederick Warne and Company, London, 1907.
This is a delightful tale.  However it is not only about Tom Kitten, but also his two sisters, Mittens and Moppet.  But most importantly it is about their mother, who cleans them up, and dresses them smartly, but then leaves them in the garden so they are out of the way so mother can finishing preparing for her tea.  Of course her goal is a show of the kittens.  However, kittens in a garden are not going to stay put, and they don't.  The soil their clothes, and in fact the ruin them, and they are picked up by the Drake Paddle Duck family, who instead of retuning them put them on as best the could.  When mother finds the kittens, she smacks them, and sends them to their room.  I think the mother kitten may need some help.  The ducks do as well, when they went swimming the clothes all fell off as they had no buttons.  The ducks are always putting their heads under water looking for the clothes.
I like that last cute tid-bit as an explanation for duck behavior.  Very enjoyable story.

Picture Book: The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, Beatrix Potter

The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter, F. Warne & CO., London, 1906.
This is how a rabbit, proud and haughty and selfish gets his high sailing tail blown off.  It always pays to be nice.

Picture Book: Appley Dappley's Nursery Rhymes, Beatrix Potter

Appley Dappley's Nursery Rhymes by Beatrix Potter, illustrated by Frederick Warne, Penguin Books, London, 1917.
This is a short and sweet rhyming story of a mouse.  However it also shows several other creatures, including a mole, guinea pig, rabbits and pig and sedge hog.  I think the line I like best is that the woman who lived in a shoe with such a large family must have been a mouse, or they would not have fit.

Picture Book Review: The Story of Miss Moppet, Beatrix Potter

The Story of Miss Moppet by Beatrix Potter, illustrated by Frederick Warne, Penguin Books, London, 1906.
This is the story of a kitten, and his interactions with a mouse.  The mouse learns that you should not get too close to the kitten; and the kitten learns that if you play with a mouse, it is likely to get away.

Picture Book Review: The Tale of Little Pig Robinson, Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Little Pig Robinson by Beatrix Potter, illustrated by Frederick Warne, Penguin Group, London, 1930.
Here is the tale of a pig, living with his two aunts.  When the cart to market is not working, the aunts are forced to send Robinson to market to sell their eggs and buy needed supplies.  Robinson does well with the marketing, but then falls in with a cook, who wants to show him his boat.  That is how he is waylaid and taken to sea.  However they treat him well, and give him every good thing to eat.  It is only when he hears the Captain and cook talking about the upcoming birthday party for the captain, with a menu of pork and applesauce, that the pig realizes he is in trouble.  However the cat, who has been trying to give the pig hints throughout, finally goes into action, gets the pig on a row boat, while putting holes in the other boats, and sends the pig on his way to a chain of islands which doesn't have enough draft for the main ship.  The little pig makes it to shore, and takes up residence on an island that supplies ample food and water, and decides not to return to hi home country, but  stay on the island and live like Robinson Crusoe.  This is a book with less pictures and more writing than most her books, but still I enjoyed the story.

Picture Book Review: The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

The tale of the Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter, illustrated by Frederick Warne, Penguin group, London, 1909.
This is the story of the family of Benjamin Bunny, who married his cousin Flopsy Bunnie.  Their children where known collectively as the Flopsy Bunnies.  Benjamin took the children scavenging, and found some over large lettuce leaves in the trash heap of Farmer McGregor.  It is wondrous the effect a leaf of lettuce can have on bunnies.  Soon the bunnies, as well as Benjamin were all sleeping in the grass clippings, only Benjamin thought to cover himself with and old sack.  When farmer McGregor dumped additional grass clippings on the heap, he spied the little bunnies and thought to have a good feast.  He bagged them up, six little bunnies.  He then returned to put the mower away before heading home.  Mrs. Tittlemouse, Benjamin Bunny, and his wife who had come looking for him, were frantic to save the children.  But the know was too tight.  However Mrs. Tittlemouse thought to gnaw the bag with her teeth.  The replaced the children with items from the trash heap and the farmer went home with ta bag of old vegetable than rabbit meat and fur.  Mrs. Tittlemouse would be rewarded by the bunnies, but the farmer would be chastised by his wife for such a cruel trick.

I like both these short simple stories as well as the pictures which add to the story.

Picture Book Review: The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter, color reproduction by Frederick Warne, Frederick Warne and Company, London, 1904.
Tis is the tale of Benjamin, who is the cousin of Peter and his siblings.  This takes place shortly after the "Tale of Peter Rabbit" and Benjamin finds Peter without clothes, because he lost them to the gardner who made of them a scarecrow.  However Benjamin had seen the farmer and his wife headed to town, so new they would be gone for some time.  He and Peter go to fetch the clothes.  Peter is wary the entire time, but they get to the clothes in easy fashion.  Its getting home that is difficult.  The cat comes upon them, and they hide in a basket.  When the cat takes a nap on top of the basket they are trapped.  Only the coming of Benjamin's father proved their salvation.
The color reproductions really are nice, and they are throughout the book rather than just on the cover.  They add something to the presentation and help tell the story.

Picture Book Review: The Tale of Two Bad Mice

The tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter, Frederick Warne, London, 1904.
This is a reproduction of the original.  These mice aren't really bad, except that the have a very bad anger reaction when they come upon what they think is a feat, only to find that the food is not real, but plastic food for a doll house.  In their temper they commit an act of vandalism against the doll house.  However, they make up for it later when they help clean up and they leave a coin they found to help pay for repairs.  What is the reason to have plastic food around anyway?
I enjoy these stories.

Children's Book Review: The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter, Frederick Warne, London, original 1904.
Beatrix Potter is a master of telling stories about animals, and in those stories telling stories about children.  Here we have four rabbit siblings, three which obey their mother, and one who doesn't.  Of course Peter enjoys many different vegetables in the garden of Mr. McGregor, but he barely avoids being put into a meat pie, and loses his shoes and jacket in the escape.  Peer Rabbit was lucky, however he was sent to bed without dinner and just chamomile tea, while the others enjoyed bread and black berries.  Maybe Peter has learned a lesson.