Celebrating 120 years of Peter Rabbit in Dannevirke

Nikki Price at Dannevirke library, with an edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, released for the 120th birthday. Photo / Leanne Warr

What started off as charming stories in a series of letters to a child became a popular children’s book around the world.

Now author Beatrix Potter’s mischievous Peter Rabbit will be a feature of a children’s party being held at Tararua District libraries on December 21.

Senior librarian Nikki Price said the library often held different events around book characters and had planned the event not only to coincide with Peter Rabbit’s 120th birthday but also in between the end of the school year and just before the library closes down for the Christmas break.

She said it was nice to take a popular children’s character and create an event around it.

The publication of The Tale of Peter Rabbit started off as tales in letters author Beatrix Potter sent to a child, according to one website.

She would write tales inspired by her own pets, eventually publishing them in books.

The movie, Peter Rabbit, was released in 2018.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit would go on to sell millions of copies worldwide and two movies have since been made featuring the characters.

Price felt the appeal of the stories was around the animals themselves.

“I think we’d all love to be able to talk to animals,” she said.

“You look at your own pets and you interpret what they’re saying.”

The fact that the animals in Beatrix Potter’s stories were all cute and non-threatening was a big part of their appeal.

“They’ve all got a story to tell and they’re all a bit mischievous,” Price said.

The party, starting at 11am at each of the four libraries, would include activities such as games and crafts, like making rabbit ears and colouring-in.

Price said the party was just one of many events the library has held over the years, although the last two years they hadn’t been able to do many due to Covid restrictions.

“It put the kybosh on a lot of stuff,” she said.

Over the school holidays, the library would have a summer programme for children which would include reading challenges and in January, author Deano Yipadee would be visiting the area and entertaining children with his stories on Neenaw the Fire Engine.