National Trust: Beatrix and Her Bunnies - preview

To Kathleen Rushall, who ensures my own stories live on forever – R.C. For Mama, who read me Beatrix Potter’s stories – C.B.M. This is a picture book based on the life of Beatrix Potter.

First published 2021 by Nosy Crow Ltd The Crow’s Nest, 14 Baden Place Crosby Row, London SE1 1YW www.nosycrow.com ISBN 978 1 83994 093 4 (HB) ISBN 978 1 83994 107 8 (PB) Nosy Crow and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Nosy Crow Ltd. ‘The National Trust’ and the oak leaf logo are registered trademarks of The National Trust (Enterprises) Limited (a subsidiary of The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, Registered Charity Number 205846).

Text copyright © Rebecca Colby 2021 Illustrations copyright © Caroline Bonne-Müller 2021 The right of Rebecca Colby to be identified as the author of this work and of Caroline Bonne-Müller to be identified as the illustrator of this work has been asserted.

All rights reserved This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Nosy Crow Ltd. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Printed in China Papers used by Nosy Crow are made from wood grown in sustainable forests.

1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 (HB) 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 (PB)

Rebecca Colby

Caroline Bonne-Müller

and her The Story of Beatrix Potter

Once there was a little girl named Beatrix.

She lived in a house in London that was large and sometimes lonely.

Even though she had lots of animals that she cared for very much . . . snails and salamanders . . . birds and bats . . . frogs and hedgehogs . . .

none of them was the perfect playmate.

“If only frogs could play leapfrog,” thought Beatrix, “or hedgehogs could play hopscotch.”

More than anything, she longed for a special friend.

Beatrix searched everywhere for a playmate.

When she visited the countryside with her family, she would hunt through the bushes for wild rabbits whose black eyes f lashed with fun.

But whenever Beatrix tried to start a game, they bounded away across the fields, leaving her feeling as lonely as ever.

And when she brought him home, he hopped around after her as though he already knew how to play ‘Follow the Leader’.

Then, one day, Beatrix met Benjamin.

Benjamin was different. He wiggled his whiskers in a way that could only mean, “Hello, how are you?”

As they curled up by the fire that evening, Beatrix had a feeling that she and Benjamin would be friends forever.