Classic Children’s Stories: The Tale Of Peter Rabbit

Kids seldom grow tired of cute ‘bunny-wabbit’ tales. So, if you are looking for a toddler classic that you can’t go wrong with, this is one to pick up.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)

Author: Beatrix Potter

From being the oldest licensed character and the first to be patented as a soft toy to being the brand mascot for a brand of baby food, this little bunny in blue seems to have it all!

The Plot

Peter Rabbit is a mischievous bunny who lives under a fir tree with his mother Mrs Josephine Rabbit and three sisters – Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail. Their father was apparently ‘put in a pie by Mrs McGregor’ while trying to do something that Peter loves – steal veggies from Mr McGregor’s garden.

While the three sisters are ‘good’ rabbits who obey their mother and help her with chores, Peter can’t have enough of food and adventure. Despite his mother’s repeated warnings, Peter sneaks into Mr McGregor’s kitchen garden one day and gorges on the goodies. Mr McGregor spots him in the midst of this gluttonous spree and chases him all over the place armed with a rake.

Peter manages to escape, but loses his way. It doesn’t help that he is all wet from hiding in a water can with Mr McGregor’s cat lurking in close proximity. Will Peter manage to find his way back into his cosy burrow and reunite with his family, or will Mr. McGregor catch and hand him over to Mrs McGregor for her next pie?

Why The Kids Will Love It

All characters in this folksy tale are anthropomorphic, which means that toddlers and pre-schoolers can easily connect to them as real people. Children can enjoy the beautiful illustrations on their own even if they cannot read the text.

The story is short, as it ought to be for that age group, but each flip of the page promises some twists, turns and action. The descriptions of the rabbits, their home and their lifestyle are particularly cute in an old-fashioned kind of way. ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ successfully puts across a moral message without talking down to children.

A classic toddler tale that's fun and engaging for little ones

Why You Will Love It

Once you read the story aloud, you will discover that the narration allows for a lot of expressions and voice modulation which is both fun and engaging for little ones. The tale illustrates the naughty-kids-get-into-trouble paradigm without sounding like a boring lesson in obedience training.

The language used is not too simple, but is age-appropriate and easily comprehensible, and you can use the opportunity to introduce some new words to your child’s vocabulary.

For some sensitive children and protective parents, the thought of Peter’s father ending up in a pie may seem a tad disconcerting. However, since read-aloud sessions are totally in your control, you may tweak or skip the portion altogether – the rest of it is as fuzzy and harmless as a rabbit.

Other Stories by Beatrix Potter

If your kid happens to love this one, follow it up with the other five in the series –

•   The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
•   The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
•   The Tale of Ginger and Pickles
•   The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
•   The Tale of Mr. Tod

Shuchi Kalra is a freelance writer based in India. Her works have been published several online and print publications- both in India and abroad. She also writes content for websites, businesses and portals. She is currently working on a short-story anthology.

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