Drawing on the V&A's collection of Beatrix Potter's artwork -the largest in the world -and little-seen material from international collections, this beautiful book explores her achievements as a naturalist, artist-storyteller and sheep farmer, and her legacy in preservation of the Lake District.Potter's work has delighted audiences for over a hundred years. A creative pioneer and determined entrepreneur, she combined scientific observation with imaginative storytelling to create some of the world's best-loved children's books. Packed with much-loved characters such as Jemima Puddleduck and Squirrel Nutkin, alongside exquisite botanical drawings, humorous picture letters to friends, Lake District watercolours, rarely seen photographs and an essay by James Rebanks this publication embeds Potter's celebrated characters in the context of her life, from the confines of middle-class London to the expanse of Lake District hill farming, identifying the people and places that inspired her.