Audiobook · read by volunteers
Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter (1866–1943)
Read by Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023), Marilyn Saklatvala, Sherry Crowther, Geva, Hugh McGuire, Jeremy, wedschild, retswerb, Brad Bush, Betsie Bush · 19 chapters · 3 h 31
About the book
Peter Rabbit squeezes under a gate and into Mr McGregor's garden, a tailor in Gloucester is helped by mice, and a squirrel named Nutkin makes the mistake of being rude to an owl. The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter gathers the favourite small stories of the author who, born in Victorian London, created some of the best-loved children's tales of all time. Nineteen tales are collected here, beginning with The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tailor of Gloucester and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, each with its tiny, precise world of animals who dress, scold and scheme. Ten LibriVox volunteers, among them Kara Shallenberg and Marilyn Saklatvala, share the reading over about three and a half hours, a warm collection for those who remember Potter from their childhood and for those meeting her stories for the first time.
Introduction
Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) was born in Victorian London on 28 July 1866, and became one of the most beloved authors and illustrators of children's books. Her first and most famous story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, began as an illustrated letter to a child and grew into a series of small books that are still in print around the world. The stories were first published in the early twentieth century.
Her tales are short and carefully made. They combine accurate observation of animals and the English countryside with a dry, gentle humour and a certain firmness: naughty rabbits and rude squirrels meet consequences, though rarely terrible ones. Her sentences are crisp and rhythmic, which makes them particularly suited to being read aloud. The Tailor of Gloucester, with its Christmas setting and its helpful mice, stands apart for its warmth.
The audio collection has 19 chapters and lasts about 3.5 hours, with ten LibriVox volunteers taking part. The set is meant both for those who remember the tales fondly from childhood and for those who discover their magic for the first time.
Why listen now? Potter's tales are among the finest examples of writing for the very young, simple but never babyish. They are perfect for bedtime and rewarding for adults too. The tales are short enough to be heard one at a time, and the different readers give each story its own character. Parents may enjoy noticing how much dry humour Potter allowed herself, and how seriously she took the small dramas of her animals. The collection also makes a pleasing gift for a child who is just learning to listen to longer stories.
Public domain
Beatrix Potter died in 1943: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text