Miss Porter, 26, in 1892
On September 4, 1893, a young woman living at 2 Bolton Park Road, Kensington, London, picked up her pen and prepared to write a letter to a five-year-old boy named Noel More. He was a mischievous yet lovable child, now ill and bedridden. What should she write to him? As Miss Porter pondered, her eyes fell on her pet rabbit, Peter. Inspiration struck her. She wrote: “Dear Noel, I don’t know what to write. Let me tell you the story of the four little rabbits. Their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, and Peter…”
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As she wrote and drew, four vivid little rabbits, each with their own unique expressions, came to life on the page, followed by their mother, Mrs. Rabbit. Before leaving, Mrs. Rabbit warned the little rabbits that they could play in the fields or on the paths, but not in Mr. McGonagall’s garden, because that’s where Mr. Rabbit’s father met with an accident and was made into a pie by Mrs. McGonagall. But as soon as Mrs. McGonagall left, Peter Rabbit—the protagonist of this story—headed straight for the garden, embarking on a thrilling adventure… The letter spanned eight pages, interspersed with 16 small, vivid drawings.
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On that day, the 27-year-old Miss Porter could hardly have imagined that this letter would become one of the most famous in history, preserved to this day. The book she later adapted from it, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, remains a bestseller over a century later, widely read and loved by generations of children and adults. In the history of children’s book publishing, it is widely recognized as the pioneering work of the modern picture book.
To know what happens next, please wait for the next episode.
Masters of the Art of Storytelling for Children (Part 2)
Masters of the Art of Storytelling for Children (Part 3)
