The Adventures of Peter Rabbit and His Friends

Supplemental Study Material

Dear Educator,

One hundred years ago this October, the world was first introduced to that mischievous little rabbit named Peter. In celebration of his 100th birthday this year, exciting events are planned all across the world to honor the little bunny and the woman who brought him to life. Here at Theatre Bristol we are proud to be a part of this great celebration. What better time to bring the magic of Beatrix Potter’s world to a whole new generation of young audiences!

As you prepare for your visit, use the information and suggested activities inside to unlock the magic of these stories for your students. We have included a broad base of materials to cover many subject areas and enhance your standard curriculum. I hope you find it helpful. As our partner in education, please feel free to adapt the information and activities to best suit the needs and abilities of your students. You are invited to make copies of this study guide for fellow teachers as well as your students.

We look forward to seeing you at the theatre and hope that you enjoy your visit with Peter, Beatrix, Jeremy Fisher, Jemimah Puddleduck and all the rest!

Sincerely,
Amy Neal Bussey
Director of Education

Did You Know?
All Theatre Bristol productions and workshops meet or exceed Virginia Standards of Learning and Tennessee State Educational Standards. For more information, please call.

Attention Tennessee Schools
Tennessee Ticket Subsidy Program
The Tennessee State Legislature and The Tennessee Arts Commission provide a ticket subsidy program. To find our if your school is eligible call one of the following based on your school system:
The Tennessee Arts Commission serves Hawkins & Sullivan Counties, (615) 741-1701
The Johnson City Area Arts Council serves Carter, Greene, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington Counties, (423) 928-8229.
The Knoxville Arts Council serves Hancock County Schools, (865) 523-7543

The Adventures of Peter Rabbit and His Friends
Presented by Theatre Bristol
by Special Arrangement with the Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois

A One-act Play based on the life and stories of Beatrix Potter by esteemed Children’s Theatre Playwright Joseph Robinette. The play includes some of Potter’s most famous stories: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tailor of Gloucester, The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, The Tale of Two Bad Mice, and The Tale of Jemimah Puddleduck.

Suggested Reading
Dear Peter Rabbit by Alma Flor Ada
Corduroy by Don Freeman
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Stuart Little by E.B. White
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Curious George by Margaret Rey
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Olivia by Ian Falconer
The Ultimate Peter Rabbit by Camilla Halinhan
My Dear Noel: The Story of A Letter From Beatrix Potter by Jane Johnson
Beatrix Potter: The Creator of Peter Rabbit by Susan Denier

Cool Websites
www.peterrabbit.com—Official Peter Rabbit website. History, games and activities, e-cards, coloring pages, and more.
www.wiredforbooks.org/kids.htm—Full text original illustrated versions of Potter’s storieswww.quia.com/tq/109403.html—Fun online quiz “How well do you know Peter Rabbit”www.beatrixpottersociety.org.uk/—Information on Potter


About the Author
Beatrix Potter was born in Victorian London in 1866, the only daughter of the wealthy Rupert Potter. During a typically sheltered upper class childhood, she and her brother kept a succession of animals which they drew and studied. She never went to school, but was taught at home by a succession of governesses. Potter excelled at drawing from nature and attempted to publish her scientific drawings with little success. Her debut as a writer and artist occurred well into her thirties—and quite by accident. In 1893 Potter wrote a letter to a young friend, Noël Moore, which was illustrated with drawings of animals and contained the first version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The letter was made into a book which was rejected by several publishers and later privately printed by Potter herself in 1901. It was subsequently was published by Frederick Warne and Co. in 1902. Potter and one of the publishers, Norman Warne, became engaged in 1905, but he died of leukemia only a month later. Potter turned back to her books as the one creative impulse left to her.

From 1905 until 1913 she spent her time at Hill Top Farm in Sawrey in the Lake District. These years were Potter's most productive. She published a number of children's books with watercolor illustrations, and oversaw the production and design. Later her works created an entire industry around them: pottery, tea-towels, soft toys, cartoon films. Her illustrations usually showed animal characters wearing human clothes but otherwise Potter treated her characters without sentimentality. It was important for her to write the stories both simple and direct, with no attempt to write down to the young listener or reader. When an attempt to issue The Pie and the Patty Pan and The Roly-Poly Pudding in a larger format did not gain success, the original small format of the book was found best and suitable for small hands. Her thirty animal stories are all still in print today the world over.

Potter spent the final portion of her life as Mrs. William Heelis, living in the Lake District farming sheep, collecting antiques, and preserving the countryside she has become so firmly associated with through her books. She died on December 22, 1943, leaving a legacy of stories and drawings beloved by every generation since. Potter’s journal, which she kept from the age of fifteen until she was past thirty, was written in an elaborate secret code. It was not until 1964, years after her death, that the code was cracked and her journals translated.

A Tale of Little Books
Throughout her life, Beatrix Potter maintained a close friendship with her former governess, Annie Carter Moore. When Moore’s son, Noel, fell ill with scarlet fever in 1893 Beatrix Potter wrote him a picture letter about a rabbit named Peter to cheer him up. (see picture to right) Seven years later, after having some small success with greeting card design, Beatrix remembered the letter and expanded it into a little picture book with black and white illustrations. She entitled it The Tale of Peter Rabbit. After being rejected by several publishers, Beatrix had the book printed herself to give to family and friends. About this time Warne & Co. agreed to publish the book if the author would supply color pictures. She did and the book finally appeared in 1902. Much to the author’s delight and surprise it became an immediate success.

Other books followed—many of which also began as storied to the Moore children. The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin was originally a letter to Norah Moore, The Tailor of Gloucester to Freda Moore and The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher to Eric Moore. Other of Beatrix Potter’s books were written with other children of her acquaintance in mind or were dedicated to them. She firmly believed that “it is much more satisfactory to address real live children” and credited the success of her little books to the fact that that was how they began. She often maintained that her ability to please children with stories was in part due to the fact that she herself had “never really grown up”.

Pre-Show Activities
As a class, read the original story of The Tale of Peter Rabbit written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. If time permits also read The Tailor of Gloucester, The Tale of Two Bad Mice, The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, and The Tale of Jemimah Puddleduck.
Have students act out their favorite scenes from the stories. Alternatively, call out names of different animals from the stories and have children walk like them and make their animal noises. This is especially fun for preschool and kindergarten students.
Tell the children a little about Beatrix Potter-when and where she lived, how much she loved animals, etc. Use the brief biography included in this study guide or refer to one of the many biographies available. Emphasize how very different her life was from what they are used to today.

Have each child create their own Potter-inspired tale. Using blank books cut into the size that Potter said "was just right for little hands," write and illustrate an animal story. (Books can be made very simply using quarter sheets of paper, hole punches and yarn.) After learning that Potter wrote some of her "nursery" books for the very youngest child, and often modeled her characters on real animals, have children model their story on hers. If desired, have children take their books to a younger classroom to share with the other students.

Relate the story to a science unit on plants by planting Mr. McGregor’s garden. Each child chooses to plant one type of vegetable, such as carrots, radish, cucumbers, tomatoes or beans. They plant it in a cup, and make a sign stating what they're growing. Graph how many of each vegetable the class has planted. You can also measure how quickly the different vegetables grow over time

Color in the picture provided in the study guide—we will post them in the theatre if you bring them with you to the show!
Play "The Bunny Pokey"—”You put your bunny ears in, you put your bunny ears out, You put your bunny ears in and you shake them all about. You do the Bunny Pokey and you hop yourself around. That's what it's all about!” (continue with bunny whiskers, bunny nose, bunny paws, bunny teeth, and best of all, bunny tail!)

Make Peter in the Watering Can: Using a teacher-made tracer, have each child trace and cut out a watering can shape from silver foil paper. Then draw and cut out a Peter and glue to top of the can. Add a pipe cleaner handle.

Post Show Activities
Discuss how Peter Rabbit actually begun as a letter to Noel. Teach the children about the different parts of a letter, put each child’s name in a hat and have all children draw the name of a classmate. Using the information about the parts of a letter that they just learned, students then write a friendly letter to their classmate and “mail” it.

Have children discuss whether or not they think Peter will ever go back in Mr. McGregor’s garden again. Why or why not? Have them imagine what might happen and then write a letter to Peter warning him about the dangers.

Talk about the differences between life in America and England in the time period. Use Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books for comparison. Make a chart of differences and similarities.

Have students reenact their favorite parts of the play. Ask them what they might decide to do differently if they were the director. Act out the changes.

Favorite Books by Beatrix Potter
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tailor of Gloucester
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
The Tale of Two Bad Mice
The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
Cecily Parson’s Nursery Rhymes
Yours Affectionately, Peter Rabbit —(A Collection of actual letters Potter wrote for her young friends amongst the characters in her stories)
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The Tale of Tom Kitten
The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck
Dear Ivy, Dear June
The Tale of Pigling Bland
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
Ginger and Pickles
Letters to Children
Beatrix Potter’s Journal (Edited by Leslie Linder)

Theatre Bristol is the region’s oldest children’s theatre, educating, inspiring and entertaining children of all ages for 37 years!

Theatre Bristol 512 State Street Bristol, TN 37620 423-968-4977 www.theatrebristol.org