When I went to Google today I saw the cutesiest little playful rabbits and I wondered what holiday they could be celebrating. As I looked at them I decided maybe it was Beatrix Potter’s birthday. Google temporarily changed its trademark logo on its homepage in honor of Potter’s birthday. I went to Wikipedia and this is what I found out about Ms. Potter.

On July 28, 1866, she was born in South Kensington. She was educated at home by a succession of governesses; she had little opportunity to mix with other children. Even Potter’s younger brother, Bertram, was rarely at home; he was sent to boarding school, leaving Beatrix alone with her pet animals.

She had frogs, newts, ferrets and even a pet bat. She also had two rabbits — the first was Benjamin, whom she described as “an impudent, cheeky little thing”, while the second was Peter, whom she took everywhere with her, even on the occasional outings, on a little lead. Potter would watch these animals for hours on end, sketching them. Gradually the sketches became better and better, developing her talents from an early age.

In 1897, her paper on the germination of spores was presented to the Linnean Society by her uncle Sir Henery Enfield Roscoe, as women were barred from attending meetings. (In 1997, the Society issued a posthumous official apology to Potter for the way she had been treated.)

Potter eventually wrote 23 books, all in the same small format. Her writing efforts finally abated around 1920 due to poor eyesight.
I love her books and the contribution she has made to literature in my life. Happy Birthday to Beatrix Potter.