There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you. 

Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter (born July 28, 1866), author of the beloved Peter Rabbit books, showed an early interest in animals. As a child, she and her younger brother took care of mice, rabbits, a hedgehog, bats, butterflies, and insects.

The title kitty isn't the bland pet her woman thinks. This cat has worked out a scheme with a friend that allows her to get out whenever she likes, in order to get into trouble. Trouble being a gun and a rather smart tweed hunting suit. I was prepared to find the art jarring, because Blake isn't particularly similar to Potter, but it worked beautifully. Successful find on all counts. I wish there would be more.

  Library copy

A beautiful children's classic. I've read this story so many times and still I do not tire of it. Beatrix Potter writes a witty tale about a bunny who manages to get into mischief for children to learn from. I adore this story and if you've read any of Beatrix Potter's works, you'll know why. Her stories are simple but effective with her messages. They are fun and sweet and a joy to read. I highly recommend her books!

I vaguely remember reading some of these stories as a child, but really only remembered Peter Rabbit so I decided to go back and reread the collection.

Overall, it is a well put together collection of stories with a variety of characters. I loved that the stories were interconnected and that you were able to read about some of the characters relations such as Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit's cousin.

Obviously these are old stories so some of the terms and experiences are a bit outdated. There are a few definitions added within the text (warren) or explained in the actual story (credit), but there are still a few things that young modern readers may not understand. Also, because of the time period in which the stories were written, some of them are a little violent or may be off-putting to modern parents and young readers. In the forward, it is stated that, "the stories are not sentimental ones of cute and precious little animals... Her stories are true to life and to the laws of nature" (vii-viii), thus there are various animal interactions that are a bit violent (cat vs. mouse, fox vs. duck/eggs, human vs. rabbit) and may make some of the stories less enjoyable for certain readers.

The illustrations were beautiful and really added more depth to the narration, especially at times in which the animal in question was not specifically stated in the text.

A good collection of tales, some better than others, but definitely an interesting read. While some aspects were dated, the book can still be enjoyed by a variety of audiences today.