"Beatrix" is a simple picture biography of Beatrix Potter. The length and style of the writing were almost parallel to one of her own story books. The main theme of the book was to portray the author's life. The book primarily focuses on Beatrix Potter's Victorian childhood. She lead a privileged and neglected life, as she had distracted parents. Since her parents tended to be distant, she often spent much of her time by herself, or with her governess. As a result, she spent a lot of time outside, finding comfort in nature and with animals. She frequented family farms and gardens to befriend animals. Some of the animals served as pets, others as an inspiration for stories or drawings, and then later, her 23 different books. The book even includes parts of Beatrix Potter's journals and letters.

I enjoyed "Beatrix". There are not as many biographies for younger readers. I liked the presentation of the story. I think this book gives a good background to her life. The nature of Potter's life could mean a drab and boring book, but this one was the opposite. The language is fitting for young readers: simple and light, with a few new words. I also enjoyed the artwork included. The illustrations are different, very linear, and often bright. It is a fun and new approach to illustrations. A good introduction for young readers to non-fiction and biographies. ( )

(easy, picture biography) I liked this book from the minute I picked it up. It was so cozy and compact in my hand that I imagine a child would be comfortable with it too. It's a bit sad that Beatrix Potter had such a morose and lonely childhood. That was a fact I did not know. Perhaps the child whose inside world does not match what we think is going on in his/her outward appearances would be able to relate to this book. As much as that might make us uncomfortable to think about, it does happen. You never know what goes on behind closed doors, and there always is that child that never quite fits in. Beatrix was also that child.She also had a gift of taming wild animals and creating fanciful stories about them, perhaps because she was experiencing her missed childhood vicariously through her little animals and her stories. It was valuable how the publishers inserted text from Beatrix's own journals into the story. ( )