How to Buy Beatrix Potter Merchandise

Since 1902, when Beatrix Potter published her first animal story, her world of squirrels that talk and rabbits that wear suits has welcomed generations of new readers. Here's how to help your child enter Beatrix Potter's world.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Beatrix Potter Merchandise
• Beatrix Potter Dishes
• Beatrix Potter Mobiles
• Beatrix Potter Nursery Decor
• Beatrix Potter Plush Animals
• The Beatrix Potter Collection Video

1. Try to figure out which characters are your child's favorites - Potter merchandise has been licensed in a mind-boggling range, and choosing one character (or a few) is a good way to focus.

2. Investigate the array of products available - it's guaranteed to surprise you. Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) was not only the author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," but also a landscape and natural history artist, diarist, farmer and conservationist.

3. Decide what kind of merchandise you're looking for.

4. Encourage your child's interest in Beatrix Potter's world. You may want to surround him with images - wallpaper, bedding, switch plates and dinnerware.

5. Encourage reading and character identification with a few stuffed animals and, perhaps, some rubber stamps. With these, your child can make up his own stories.

6. Use videos to make books come alive (and give you a break from reading) and books on tape to help an older child learn to read.

7. Take a look at more fragile products such as Royal Doulton figurines if you're buying for an adult.

Tips & Warnings

• Beatrix Potter is as British as Paddington. Merchandise based on her characters is available all over the world. But if you can, go to England, where it all began.
• Potter was responsible for the preservation of large areas of Great Britain's Lake District through her gifts to the National Trust. Numerous galleries (mostly in England) offer pieces to collectors.
• Look out for words like "inspired by the stories of Beatrix Potter." This usually means that the product does not incorporate the original illustrations.