Kidstuff Blog Peter Rabbit Through the Ages

It's hard to believe that it's been 112 years since publishers took a chance on Beatrix Potter and her Peter Rabbit. In that time, Peter has been turned from storybook character to stuffed toy, stuffed toy to app, and app to stage production. But one thing has remained the same - he continues to make children everywhere feel happy.The history of Peter RabbitMany people may be fooled into thinking that self publishing is a relatively new game, but Peter Rabbit was originally a self published project. In 1901, fed up with receiving rejection letters, 35-year-old writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter decided to print 250 books. The Tale of Peter Rabbit was printed with 41 black and white woodblock engravings and a colour frontispiece, and featured a naughty rabbit she had made up to help entertain a sick child.Peter is a fictional anthropomorphic character, and he instantly captured the attention of hundreds of children. Dressed in a cute little jacket and shoes, Peter lived in a rabbit hole (complete with kitchen, furniture and a little shop) with his mother Josephine Rabbit and sisters Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail. He was inspired by Potter's childhood pet rabbit Peter Piper, and was created in 1893 as a letter to Noel Moore, the five-year-old son of Potter's former governess.Witnessing the attention Potter was garnering from her new books, publishers Frederick Warne & Co decided to publish a trade edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. By the end of the year, 28,000 copies were in print. Today, The Tale of Peter Rabbit has gone on to sell more than 40 million copies, and the Peter Rabbit series has sold an impressive 151 million copies in 35 languages.The seriesAs well as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit was a central character in three other Beatrix Potter books - The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904), The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies (1909) and The Tale of Mr Tod (1912). Peter also made cameo appearances in The Tale of Mrs Tiggy Winkle (1905), and The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (1909).MerchandiseShortly after publication, Potter created a soft doll depicting Peter Rabbit and a Peter Rabbit board game. He was the first soft toy to be patented, making Peter the oldest licensed character. Before long, he was also appearing as a porcelain figurine and on plates and cups. He was also the face of infant formula Enfamil for a time. AdaptionsIn 1971, Peter Rabbit appeared in the ballet film The Tales of Beatrix Potter. In 1991, he featured in HBO's Storybook Musical and in 1992, he was animated for the BBC anthology series The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends. More recently, Peter stars in the new CGI-animated children's TV series Peter Rabbit, which premiered in 2012.As well as on-screen, Peter has been adapted into stage productions, apps and further story books. In 2010, English actress Emma Thompson was sent a letter by Frederick Warne that suggested she had a "certain mischievous twinkle" in her eye that made her the perfect candidate to continue with Potter's tales of the equally mischievous Peter. Describing it as "a witty invitation", Thompson agreed and The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit was soon created.In 2012, Australian writer and award-winning producer Garry Ginivan turned Peter Rabbit into a classic stage show with an original score by Mark Jones.There is even a Christmas version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, that was created as part of a 3D sound-animated app that's available from iTunes.Where Peter Rabbit is todayWhether seen popping out of a Jack in the Box, as part of a stacking block tower, or as a cuddly plush toy, a child will reach for Peter Rabbit now just as they did in 1902. No matter which form he comes in, Peter Rabbit remains a classic, and reminds us of a fascinating author and illustrator that dedicated her life to his tales. No doubt Peter will continue to be adapted and will continue to be a part of children's lives for a long time to come.