Customer Reviews

At Home with Beatrix Potter: The Creator of Peter Rabbit

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AT HOME WITH BEATRIX POTTER is a delight to the eye and the spirit for those who love this children's author and her "little books." It is written by Susan Denyer of Britain's National Trust. (Potter's property was left to the National Trust.) The focus of the book is Hilltop Farm, the first farm Beatrix Potter acquired. Although she lived across the road in Castle Cottage, Potter often used Hilltop for its library, guestroom, and workplaces. She also used it to display her "treasures." This book reveals her love of nature, the English Lake District, and of old things--carved dressers, chests, spinning wheels are a few of the "gems" portrayed. Two-page color spreads convey the beauty of the Lake Area, where Potter became a major landowner, sheepfarmer, and a happily married woman. It is wonderful to see the original places, buildings, and objects that she incorporated into her books (examples are shown side by side). The book's layout, photographs, and design are first-rate. Reading this book reminded me of THE PRIVATE WORLD OF TASHA TUDOR and its wonderful photographs by Richard Brown. Like Tudor, Potter drew what she knew and preferred country to city life. (Tudor also was a working farmer in New Hampshire.) Finally, this book presents information about Beatrix Potter and the things and people she loved in an informative and respectful way. This book is not a biography, and Denyer avoids the biographer's temptation to "sum up" or "explain" Beatrix Potter. Rather, we draw our own conclusions after being exposed to the things Potter loved. The select bibliography at the book's end provides a list of works on and by Potter (her journals and letters have been published) that is very helpful to those who want to know more about this author. This is a book to treasure.

Being the big fan of Beatrox Potter, the woman and not just the author I was overjoyed to get this as a gift recently and the book is a treat for the eyes. While it has pages and pages of stunning photographs as well as her own water colours, it is the text and complete history of her farms that is awesome.

That and reading and seeing photographs of her as well as her farms and reading why she bought each property and the breeds of sheep she raised was of special interest to me. I loved seeing the inside of her farms, although I had seen the inside of a few, via the National Land Trust to whom she left her properties.

I loved the photographs of Beatrix and how she was so eccentric, kind yet firm and a woman ahead of her time. And it was nice to read that she was a true homestead style woman who had the waste not want not mentality, as well as a deep appreciation for quality and hated to see old bridges torn down for modern ones, although she was quick to make sure the stones and plants, wood and other things being discarded by some, didn't end up in some dump area but were recycled into new walls and buildings and plantings on her property.

This is a book a cottage gardener, keeper of sheep. painters, stone masons and anyone who loves working with their hands will love. As well as sincere environmentalists and organic gardeners and farmers.

This book is a balanced combination of biographical information, Beatrix Potter's sketches and paintings, and exceptional scenic photography of the Lake District she helped preserve. It also details the exterior and interior of a house she owned which provided the backgrounds for many of her book illustrations. The side-by-side comparisons were interesting, even though the house seemed to be more of a showpiece than her actual residence. (Thus, the book title is somewhat misleading.) I found this book to be of exceptional quality and, although the text was sometimes overwrought with property, town and house names, the book includes many captioned photos and a map that allow the reader to appreciate the area in which she lived.

What a beautiful book. Clear, inviting photos, and interesting information. A book you will enjoy reading and sharing.

A gorgeous collection of photos and information
about one of my most favorite children story writers.

you can feel the love that went into the research for this beautiful book; the stories and pictures flow so easily; i could almost see ms potter and her mr hellis puttering in a garden or floating in a boat across some breathtaking bit of water. well done.

This book was a real pleasure to read very slowly. It is a room by room description of Beatrix Potter's Hill Top farm house and includes the gardens. Beatrix started journaling about what she loved in a home from the time she was nine years old and this house is the cummulation of a life long interest in interior and exterior design theory. She fit in with the whole Arts and Crafts movement of the time. The house was deliberatly her largest artistic creation, she didn't actually live there very much. Again, it is a beautiful book and has many fasinating details about Beatrix Potter, her family and her times.

I am thrilled with this book . It was all I thought it would be.
I love it and I appreciate the quick service I received from Amazon

After viewing the movie that was SO delightful with Rene' Zelleger (sp?!) I wanted to read any
biographies OF Beatrix Potter after loving the movie and seeing it on Cable TV many times, and then
learning how much of Britain's "working farms" and LAND that she saved from so-called progress! This was the very first book on Beatrix that I have purchased, and it is a grand start for my
home library!

I received this book promptly. The book is absolutely beautiful. It is in perfect shape and the contents are more informative than I ever imagined. The photos are fabulous. It is worth every penny and then some.