Beatrix Potter And The Unfortunate Tale Of A Borrowed Guinea Pig Read Free Books and Download eBooks
Published in time for the 150th anniversary of her birth, this story stars a young Beatrix Potter, creator of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and many other classic children’s books. Master of the historical fiction picture book, Hopkinson takes readers back to Victorian England and the home of budding young artist and animal lover Beatrix Potter. When Beatrix brings home her neighbor’s pet guinea pig so that she can practice painting it, well . . . it dies! Now what? Written in the form of a “picture letter,” this charming, hilarious, and mostly true tale is a wonderful introduction to a beloved author/illustrator.An author's note includes photographs and more information about Beatrix Potter's life and work."A charming, delightful homage." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred
Lexile Measure: AD840L (What's this?)
Hardcover: 44 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (February 2, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385373252
ISBN-13: 978-0385373258
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #313,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #33 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > European #781 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels #7859 in Books > Children's Books > Humor
Age Range: 4 - 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
In this delightful romp, the early life of Beatrix Potter, author and illustrator of the beloved The Tale of Peter Rabbit, comes to life through beautiful watercolor illustrations and very Potter-esque prose in Beatrix Potter & the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig. We are introduced to Beatrix Potter and her menagerie of pets when she is a young girl whose writing and drawing skills are blossoming. When she asks her next-door neighbor to borrow a guinea pig for a model, Miss Paget is most flattered when she chooses the most regal of her pigs, âQueen Elizabethâ. With a promise to return Queen Elizabeth unharmed in the morning, Beatrix sets off to paint one of her most famous pieces of art. Disaster strikes when Beatrix gets distracted from her work and the young girl must break the news to her kindly neighbor. The tale comes to a close with a cheeky reminder to readers of what to do if you lend out a pet (youâll have to read the book to read the authorâs advice).Beatrix Potter & the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig is written by Deborah Hopkinson who chose to write in a style similar to Beatrix Potter, known for developing ideas for stories from picture letters. The story itself contains some snippets of information about Beatrix Potterâs early life. While it is never explicitly mentioned, the author cleverly drops hints as to Ms. Potterâs privileged background. We learn that Beatrix Potter had an unusual menagerie of pets (including lizards, snakes, rabbits, hedgehogs, ducks, and birds) who often meet with tragic endings. You can imagine the fate of the guinea pig, Iâm sure. At the back of the book, the reader is treated to the story behind a painting of a guinea pig by Beatrix Potter which sold for $85,000 in 2011.The watercolor illustrations by Charlotte Voake are inspired by Beatrix Potterâs own style and are the highlight of the book. The combination of full-page scenes depicting life at 2 Bolton Gardens in London, as well as the smaller pictures of Ms. Potterâs many animals, and the re-creations of the picture letters illustrated by Potter herself really help to bring the story alive. Worthy of mention are the sturdy book cover and thick, tear-resistant pages making the book itself likely to withstand repeated page-turning.I must admit that I have mixed feelings about the book. Overall, I really enjoyed the presentation of the book (i.e., the gorgeous illustrations) and the writing style of the book as well as the story itself, but after reading the P.S. (Authorâs Note), I was disappointed. You see, the author changed Potterâs age from 26 to perhaps around 10 (I donât believe her age is mentioned in the story). That really changed things for me. I can understand that the intent was to tell the (mostly true) story about this famous painting which sold for $85,000 but when I read that she actually wasnât a little girl but a grown woman ⦠well ⦠I went âOh.â I felt misled. If I was reading the book to a child, I would just read the story and not share that piece of information with them.My Bottom Line: Overall, Beatrix Potter & the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig is a light-hearted, whimsy-filled story using Beatrix Potterâs classic story-telling prose and realist style of watercolor painting to capture the imagination of young readers. I recommend this book for children ages 5 to 10 and I think it would make a great read-aloud book for classroom teachers or school librarians.* This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. *
Summary: Told as a story letter (âMy Dear Readerâ) in a style similar to one Beatrix Potter used to use, this tale features a young Beatrix. Not surprisingly, she enjoyed keeping numerous pets, and even borrowing others pets, mostly for the purpose of drawing and painting them. She could be careless, though, and on one occasion, she forgot about a borrowed guinea pig, who proceeded to eat up most of her art supplies. Unfortunately, these proved fatal for the cute little animal, and Beatrix was forced to go confess her mistake. In an attempt at compensation, Miss Potter offered a watercolor drawing of the guinea pig, which was not received too graciously. Although the story is about a young girl, the authorâs note reveals that this incident happened when Beatrix Potter was 26 years old.Pros: This humorous tale includes quite a bit of historical information about Beatrix Potterâs life and how she got her start writing and illustrating her famous books. The watercolor illustrations are clearly inspired by the Potter books.Cons: The whole killing the guinea pig thing is a little less of a chuckle when one finds out it was committed by a 26-year-old woman.
I enjoyed the matter-of-fact way young Beatrix's life in late 1800's London is portrayed. The reader meets a young girl walking rabbits on a leash and bringing a huge menagerie of wild animals into the house with apparently no adult intervention or repercussions.The pages reproduced from her diary (in translated form) are interwoven seamlessly, propelling the story to the main event. Her picture diaries bring to mind today's books such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Timmy Failure and may serve to inspire a new generation of writer/artists.While, thankfully, I never killed any of my pets, the reality of such accidents feels realistic and sympathetic. But then I read the Author's Note. It is documented that Potter drew watercolors of guinea pigs around the time that this story is envisioned. However, Potter was 26 years old at the time, not a child. I had pictured a child's mistake as just that, a forgivable mistake borne of responding to her parents' call. The same actions committed by a 26-year old woman? Not as humorous. Would I have the same reaction if the author chose to focus on the death of the bat or family of snails Potter was also responsible for? Perhaps not. But thinking more and more on this plot point, I've decided that it is a great talking point for children.Note: I received a review copy from Random House in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissionâs 16 CFR, Part 255: âGuides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.â
Inspired by Beatrix Potterâs journal entries, this book captures her fascination with animals in a picture letter format. The conversation the author has with the readers is comical at times. The authorâs note at the end provides more information about Beatrixâs life and fascinating facts about her writings and illustrations. While the story was enjoyable, the watercolor illustrations of this book felt a little choppy, making it difficult at times to be pulled into the story visually.
At our home we thought this was adorable and understatedly funny. Having an aspiring artist at home, one who's tried to force the cat to sit still for the sake of art, only adds to our family's enjoyment of this one.
Loved this retelling of Beatrix's unfortunate incident with her neighbor's Guinea pig. Loved the illustrations and extra information at end of book, too.
Another wonderful book from award-winning children's book author Deborah Hopkinson. This is a delightful story share with young readers!
INteresting twist to include the author. So META!
Beatrix Potter and the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig Guinea Pigs as Pets. Guinea Pig Owners Manual. Guinea pig care, handling, pros and cons, feeding, training and showing. BEATRIX POTTER Ultimate Collection - 22 Children's Books With Complete Original Illustrations: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, ... Moppet, The Tale of Tom Kitten and more Guinea Pigs: The Essential Guide To Ownership, Care, & Training For Your Pet (Guinea Pig Care) The World Famous Guinea Pig Zoo: Guinea Days Art Studio The Not-So Itty-Bitty Spiders (Olive & Beatrix #1) (Olive and Beatrix) Learn to Draw Angry Birds: Bad Piggies: Featuring all your favorite crafty, crazy pigs, including King Pig, Foreman Pig, Corporal Pig, and more! (Licensed Learn to Draw) Beatrix Potter and Bunnykins: Price Guide Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Classic Children's Tales William and the Guinea-pig (Thinkers) Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales The Beatrix Potter Knitting Book Beatrix Potter the Complete Tales (Peter Rabbit) A Beatrix Potter Treasury Needlepoint Designs After Illustrations by Beatrix Potter: Charted for Easy Use (Dover needlework series) Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales (Peter Rabbit) (Illustrated) Training Your Guinea Pig (Training Your Pet Series) The Guinea Pig Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks) A Guinea Pig Pride & Prejudice A Guinea Pig Oliver Twist
