The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Beatrix Potter
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
Following the naughty rabbit
How does the story make you respond to Peter after introducing his siblings as good and him as naughty?
Keep the conversation going
- What draws us into his adventure despite his mother’s warning?
- How might an adult and a child respond differently to those labels?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
How does the story make you respond to Peter after introducing his siblings as good and him as naughty?
Keep the conversation going
- What draws us into his adventure despite his mother’s warning?
- How might an adult and a child respond differently to those labels?
What effect does the brief account of Peter’s father have on the garden adventure?
Keep the conversation going
- How does the matter-of-fact way his fate is mentioned affect the tone?
- What does the mother’s decision to let the rabbits go out suggest about the balance between protection and freedom?
How does the garden change as we experience it with Peter?
Keep the conversation going
- What happens to our sympathy when Mr. McGregor calls Peter a thief?
- How do the vegetables shift from tempting food to part of a frightening landscape?
What mixture of help, luck, and Peter’s own efforts makes his escape possible?
Keep the conversation going
- What changes when he loses the shoes and jacket that have hindered him?
- How do the sparrows, the mouse, and the cat create different possibilities for trust?
How does Potter make a short chase feel so immediate?
Keep the conversation going
- What do Peter’s sneeze and the sound of the hoe add to the suspense?
- How does the movement between comic mishaps and genuine danger affect your response?
What kind of resolution does the contrast between Peter’s bedtime tea and his siblings’ supper offer?
Keep the conversation going
- How do you understand his mother’s care without a scene of scolding or confession?
- What does the mention of another recently lost jacket leave open about whether Peter will change?
How does the story let us see Mr McGregor, and would it feel different told from his side of the garden?
Keep the conversation going
- Why do you think we see so little of his face?
- Is he a villain, or simply a gardener protecting his crop?
How do Beatrix Potter's watercolours work with the short sentences on each page?
Keep the conversation going
- Which picture tells you something the words leave out?
- Why do you think the book was made so small, to fit a child's hands?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.