On December 16, 1901, Beatrix Potter privately published The Tale of Peter Rabbit, a story that grew into one of the best-selling children’s books in history and launched her career as the beloved author-illustrator of 23 classics. Though raised in a quiet, sheltered home, Potter spent her childhood sketching animals, exploring the countryside, and developing a love for nature that filled her stories with charm and gentle humor. Her summers in Scotland and England’s Lake District inspired characters like Jemima Puddle-Duck and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, and her success eventually allowed her to buy Hill Top Farm, where she wrote, drew, and became an accomplished conservationist and sheep farmer. Before her death in 1943, she protected thousands of acres of land by donating her properties to the National Trust, teaching us through both her storie ...