Pouchu was sitting outside his pond house, watching a bee buzz from flower to flower. He was also contemplating a very important question: what should he have for his morning brunch?
Just then, a sparrow swooped down and landed on a flat stone beside him.
Sparrow: Hey there, Pouchu! Aren’t you at Granny’s house today?
Pouchu: Granny has gone to pay the electricity bill, so I’m hanging around here for a while.
Sparrow: Oh! I was flying past her window just now when I spotted a handsome rabbit wearing a blue coat. Do you know him?
Pouchu: A rabbit in a blue coat?
Pouchu’s ears perked up. A handsome rabbit in a blue coat? That certainly sounded more interesting than deciding what to eat for brunch!
Pouchu: Where did you say you saw him?
Sparrow: At Granny’s house, of course! I caught a glimpse of him through the window.
Pouchu: Well, I’d better go and investigate. See you later!
With a quick goodbye to the sparrow, Pouchu hurried towards Granny’s house. He simply had to find out who this mysterious rabbit was—and why he was wearing a blue coat.
But when Pouchu reached the house, the door was locked. Granny hadn’t returned yet.
He peered through the glass window. There, on a table inside, lay a book.
Pouchu leaned closer.
Yes! There he was—the handsome rabbit the sparrow had described, wearing a smart blue coat!
Pouchu pressed his nose against the glass. Then he leaned forward a little more.
And a little more.
By the time Granny returned, Pouchu’s face was squished flat against the windowpane, his nose looking rather like a tiny button stuck to the glass.
Granny stopped in her tracks.
Granny: Goodness gracious! Pouchu! Whatever are you doing?
Pouchu was so engrossed in the book that he didn’t hear her.
Granny placed her keys in the little woven basket on the table, walked over to the window, and gently opened it.
Granny: Pouchu, dear, if you press your face any harder against that glass, I shall have to peel you off it!
Pouchu sprang backwards.
Pouchu: Granny! You gave me such a fright!
Granny: I believe I ought to say the same to you! What on earth were you peering at so intently?
Pouchu pointed towards the book.
Pouchu: That rabbit! Granny, who is he? Why is he wearing such a handsome blue coat? And where is he going?
Granny followed his gaze and smiled when she saw the book.
Granny: Ah! So you’ve met Peter Rabbit—or at least, you’ve met him on the cover of a book.
Pouchu: Peter Rabbit! What an interesting name. Is he a prince, Granny? He looks rather grand in that coat.
Granny: A prince? Well, Pouchu, a fine coat doesn’t necessarily make a rabbit a prince. And a rabbit doesn’t need to be a prince to have an interesting story.
Pouchu: Then what sort of rabbit is he?
Granny: A very curious one, I should think.
Pouchu: Curious? Like me?
Granny: Oh, quite possibly! But tell me, Pouchu, what do you think a curious rabbit might do when he sees something he wants to explore?
Pouchu’s eyes brightened.
Pouchu: He would go and have a look, of course!
Granny: Even when someone has told him to be careful?
Pouchu paused. His face drooped just a little.
Pouchu: Well… perhaps he might have a tiny look?
Granny raised an eyebrow.
Granny: And what if that tiny look led him somewhere unexpected?
Pouchu leaned towards the book again, though this time he kept his nose a sensible distance from the glass.
Pouchu: Granny, what happens to Peter Rabbit?
Granny: Ah, my dear Pouchu, that is precisely what the story is waiting for you to discover.
Pouchu: But can you give me just one little clue?
Granny: One little clue, then. Peter has a garden to visit, a warning to remember, and a rather important decision to make.
Pouchu stared at the book.
Pouchu: A garden? A warning? A decision? Granny, that sounds like three clues!
Granny: Then I must be careful what I say next!
Pouchu giggled.
Pouchu: Please, Granny! Can we read it now?
Granny picked up the book and settled into her favourite chair. Pouchu hurried over and sat beside her, his curiosity bubbling over like a pot of milk left unattended.
Granny opened the cover.
Granny: Now, let us see where Peter’s story begins.
Pouchu held his breath.
And somewhere inside the pages of a little book, a rabbit in a blue coat was waiting to be discovered.
Peek Into the Book
A handsome little rabbit in a blue coat has caught Pouchu’s eye. But what lies behind that smart coat and those curious eyes?
Peter Rabbit lives in a world of family, gardens, and tempting discoveries. One day, a particular garden becomes the centre of an adventure, and a warning from home suddenly matters more than it might have seemed.
Beatrix Potter brings her animal characters to life through delicate illustrations, gentle humour, and a wonderful eye for the small details of the natural world. Peter is curious, lively, and not always inclined to stop and think before he acts.
Will curiosity lead him somewhere wonderful, somewhere unexpected, or somewhere he would rather not be?
There is only one way to find out: open the book and follow Peter’s little paws!
A question for our young readers: Have you ever wanted to explore something simply because someone told you to be careful? What would you do?
Library Calling Card
| Detail | Information |
| Book | The Tale of Peter Rabbit |
| Author | Beatrix Potter |
| Illustrator | Beatrix Potter |
| First privately printed | 1901 |
| First commercially published | 1902 |
| Original commercial publisher | Frederick Warne & Co. |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children’s picture book; classic children’s literature |
| Themes | Curiosity, family, adventure, warnings, choices, and consequences |
Edition note: Page count, format, publisher details, and ISBN vary by edition. The details above refer to the book’s original publication history, not to one particular modern edition.
Further reading: Victoria and Albert Museum — Peter Rabbit: The Tale of the Tale.
Granny’s Notes
Sometimes, all it takes is a glimpse of something unfamiliar to awaken our curiosity. For Pouchu, it was a rabbit in a blue coat. For another young reader, it might be a mysterious garden, a tiny footprint, or a door left slightly open.
Curiosity invites us to explore. But it also gives us a chance to pause and think. What might happen next? Why was that warning given? Is there something we haven’t considered?
Peter Rabbit’s story offers young readers a playful way to think about the choices we make when something catches our attention. It reminds us that adventures can be exciting, but our decisions matter too.
And perhaps the loveliest thing about a book is that we don’t have to know all the answers before we begin. We can turn the pages, follow the clues, and discover the story for ourselves.
A little question from Granny: If you spotted something fascinating just beyond your reach, would you rush towards it, stop to think, or ask someone to come along with you?
There is no need to hurry. Sometimes, the best adventures begin with a question.
