Children have been reading and enjoying Beatrix Potter books since 1902. You might recognize some of the more popular stories such as Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny. Most of her other stories utilize a similar template based on animal characters interacting as human beings which have drawn comparisons to Aesop's fables. Potter, however, had a very specific and somewhat distinct vision for her own books.
The books, from illustrations to stories, were created, developed, and controlled solely by Beatrix Potter. She drew all of her own pictures and even received some acclaim for attention to detail and accuracy which was considerably knowledgeable for a female in the early 20th century.
She would use elements of her personal life frequently in her books. The illustrations of animals were characters based on pets and other animals she had interacted with. Settings would be drawn from what was around her. The themes and plots of her personal life usually found their way into the stories. In one case for instance The Tale of Ginger and Pickle dealt with running a business. It was during this period in her life that Potter was submerging herself in the business and marketing of getting her books sold.
Potter also frequently used recurring characters in many of her stories. The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies featured her most popular character Peter Rabbit, but not as a primary character. Peter Rabbit really only had a cameo. Benjamin Bunny, who was the cousin of Peter Rabbit, also played the title character in The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. This was an effective form of cross promotion, however Potter did do this in every story, as evidenced in The Tale of Pigling Bland.
Potter's books were influential enough that the premise of one of her stories was borrowed by the author of the popular Winnie the Pooh stories. In Potter's story an animal eats himself stuck. Later, a version of this can be seen as clearly similar in a Winnie the Pooh book. No less than Walt Disney himself also took interest in Potter's writing. He had purchased the rights to both The Wind in the Willows and Winnie the Pooh, however when he made an offer to Potter, she declined, choosing to remain in absolute control of her works.
Just looking at some of the titles shows Beatrix Potter books keep to a consistent formula; The Tale of Pigling Bland, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies. This familiarity was further developed by using many of the same characters consistently throughout her stories. Her illustrations were all done by one artist and always written by one author, her, and always done in a similar way. These techniques allowed Potter to have a product that was recognizable and marketable which gained her financial freedom and success.
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