A new Beatrix Potter tale was published today, two years after the manuscript was unearthed following a clue discovered by Jo Hanks, publisher at Penguin Random House Children's Books, in an out-of-print 1970s literary history of the author.
Hanks found a reference to "a well-behaved prime black Kitty cat, who leads a rather double life." Intrigued, she visited the archives of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London where many of Potter's papers are housed and found the story handwritten in a children's school notebook, including a mock-up with some typesetting and a single rough color sketch of Kitty-in-Boots.
The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots is illustrated by Quentin Blake (the extraordinarily talented artist best known for illustrating Roald Dahl's books, but nonetheless perhaps an odd choice given how different his style is to Beatrix Potter's). The publication coincides with the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth this summer. The audio version is read by Helen Mirren.
Hanks found a reference to "a well-behaved prime black Kitty cat, who leads a rather double life." Intrigued, she visited the archives of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London where many of Potter's papers are housed and found the story handwritten in a children's school notebook, including a mock-up with some typesetting and a single rough color sketch of Kitty-in-Boots.
The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots is illustrated by Quentin Blake (the extraordinarily talented artist best known for illustrating Roald Dahl's books, but nonetheless perhaps an odd choice given how different his style is to Beatrix Potter's). The publication coincides with the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth this summer. The audio version is read by Helen Mirren.