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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 45 customer reviews )
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51 of 51 found the following review helpful:
A must-have for Beatrix Potter fans, young and old Jan 07, 2007
By karensk121
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and leafing through this interactive book.
The pages are richly printed on cardstock. Nearly every 2-page spread has something to do: lift-up card, fold-out note, 5-page "photograph album" booklet, pull-out letter in an envelope, fold-out map, lift-up stack-of-4 proof sheets, fold-out "The Game of Peter Rabbit", and more. All of these are printed on a variety of thick papers or cardstock.
A fun surprise is in the thick back cover of the book: a pocket holds "My privately printed edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit" -- Mrs. Potter had her first run of 250 copies printed by Strangeways, before it was later accepted by a commercial publisher, according to this book. This Peter Rabbit book-within-a-book is not in color, just as the original was not in color, and its cover is ultra-thick cardstock (not hardcover). Beatrix Potter: A Journal, the main book, has thick padded covers, both front and back.
In fine print under the publisher's info and ISBN number, it reads, "This is a work of fiction based upon Beatrix Potter's journal and letters." It would have been more helpful to have more references and/or notes explaining which parts were based on fact.
Overall, this book is beautifully printed, imaginatively conceived, and great fun. I'm happy to add it to my Beatrix Potter collection!
42 of 43 found the following review helpful:
Worth Reading Over and Over! Oct 06, 2007
By Jean Yates
"jean, jewelry designer, book and music lover"
This is a journal, most of which was begun by Beatrix Potter herself at the age of sixteen. It is drawn from facts found in a number of places, in some areas and in certain ways. She didn't specifically "create" this giant, luxurious book, but the fact is, the story is essentially her real story. Her life was just beginning to change at sixteen, right at the point that this wonderful, illustrated chronicle of her dreams, hopes and experiences demonstrates. The book is enhanced by many drawings, her script on the pages, and also by charming additions such as letters in envelopes stuck to the thick oversized pages, which the reader can remove and read, just as the original recipient did, and locket facsimiles, and things like that. There are many drawings and watercolor paintings, which she created, of rustic scenes and animals, as well as photographs of her family, the houses they lived in, and her loved ones.
Beatrix Potter was a strong-willed woman (though shy), as well as a great artist. She spent her life anthropomorphizing animals in her tales, in the sense that they had clothing and characteristics which were human, but she seriously studied real animals devotedly, and she was true to their reality in her books. I think this is one of the reasons her books have been so beloved throughout the years by all children and their families. The realism and the fantasy blend so charmingly no one has ever been able to replicate this.
Beatrix Potter had a great love in her life: her publisher. Sadly, she was never to marry him. However, she did eventually marry a wonderful man at a later age. She had bought several farms and always remained in the country, living in its beloved natural beauty which encouraged the legacy which has affected all of us, the legacy which began with her first little book: Peter Rabbit.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It is beautifully done, not "kitchy" or fake in in its layout. This is such a moving story of a great, strong-willed woman.
Beatrix Potter has been beloved for her books and her tales for a hundred years. I am quite sure she will continue to be loved for many, many more. Cherish this book.
25 of 25 found the following review helpful:
Beautiful Jan 01, 2007
By E. E. Eiber
My sister sent this book to us and I can't recommend it highly enough. It is beautifully illustrated with photographs and pictures. It has inserts that can be opened such as a photograph album, a letter, and most pleasing, a complete, removable copy of the original "Tale of Peter Rabbit." If ever a publisher should have taken advantage of the "search inside" option, it is this one.
The journal entries, however, are in cursive and may present a problem for some readers.
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
 Nicely presented book Mar 12, 2007
By Beth Riley
This was a very nicely presented scrapbook but I was disappointed as I expected much more of Beatrix Potter's actual journaling to gain more understanding and appreciation of who she was.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 An intimate & delightful recreation of Potter's inner life Dec 04, 2007
By Lisette Baxter
I've just bought this book as a Christmas present for my elderly aunt,who is a romantic soul who loves all manner of Victorian & Edwardian memorabilia.
There have a been a plethora of these kind of illustrated 'recreated' document-type books in recent years(think the 'Enchanted dolls House' series)& some of them are lovely,while others are sentimental,slim volumes of over-priced hooey.
This is well-worth the $AU35 I paid for my copy.Rich in detail,varied in scope,the reader really feels they are privy to the soul of a woman who,bristling under the thumb of tyrannical & overbearing parents,sought escape by immersing herself in a world of gentle,woodland creatures.
If you are an Anglophile,this book is for you.The illustrations of these most English of creatures are a real joy,lovingly reprinted in the most gorgeous water colours you will ever see in print.The faithful reproduction of the paraphenalia of the era(copious letter-writing,ink pen scrawled copperplate,magazine advertisements,printed pamphlets etc) will satisfy even the most nostalgia-prone reader & plunge them into a very accessible sense of the times in which Potter wrote.
For those of us who grew up loving the adventures of Peter & his friends,this is a worthy tribute to their inestimable creator.A true pleasure for the young & the young at heart.
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