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The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Tale of Peter Rabbit Paperback - 2015

by Beatrix Potter


About this book

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. The story follows Peter Rabbit, a mischievous and disobedient young rabbit, as he ventures into the garden of farmer Mr. McGregor. The tale was written for five-year-old Noel Moore, son of Potter's former governess, in 1893. It was revised and privately printed by Potter in 1901 after several publishers' rejections but was printed in a trade edition by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1902. 

From the publisher

Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter. They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree. 'Now my dears, ' said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, 'you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.'

First Edition Identification

Potter's book was initially rejected by publishers, who were looking for color illustrations. Resisting that idea, Potter paid for 250 copies to be printed at her own expense, which she distributed to family and friends in 1901 and shortly needed to print another 200 copies. 

Frederick Warne & Co reached out to the author (although they were one of the initial rejectors) asking if she would cut some illustrations and add colors - and eventually, a contract was agreed upon. The first 8,000 copies of the trade edition sold out before printing, and by the end of 1902 28,000 copies were in print; a 
year after the first commercial publication there were 56,470 copies in print.

Of the first printing, first edition run there were 2,000 deluxe editions bound in either green or yellow cloth. The rest were bound in brown board.  

Details

  • Title The Tale of Peter Rabbit
  • Author Beatrix Potter
  • Binding Paperback
  • Pages 26
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
  • Date 2015-06-24
  • ISBN 9781514650745 / 1514650746
  • Weight 0.14 lbs (0.06 kg)
  • Dimensions 9 x 6 x 0.07 in (22.86 x 15.24 x 0.18 cm)