The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- Privately printed (Strangeways), 1901
- First published
- Beatrix Potter (privately printed), England, 1901
- First UK edition
- Frederick Warne and Co., 1902
The first edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was published in London by Privately printed (Strangeways) in 1901. We track 2 editions, with the points that separate the first printing from later ones.
Spot the first edition: Spine: Flat spine (first private issue) Full identification guide
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Privately printed (Strangeways)1901 Pictorial boards Sold £6,500 · Mar 2017 I own The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Privately printed (Strangeways) 1901 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
Awards, adaptations and setting
Setting and characters
- Characters
- Peter Rabbit, Mr. McGregor, Josephine Rabbit, Flopsy Rabbit, Mopsy Rabbit, Cottontail Rabbit
- Genre
- children's literature
Read next
- Followed by
- The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
In print
- Editions recorded
- 262 on Open Library, 160 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 29 languages
- Free to read
- Project Gutenberg (out of copyright in the US)
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
Pictures of the book
Freely licensed pictures of the work. They are not necessarily the edition you hold: check the points on each edition's page.
More by Beatrix Potter
- The Story of Miss Moppet1900 · 2 editions
- The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit1900 · 1 edition
- The Tailor of Gloucester1902 · 3 editions
- The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin1903 · 3 editions
- The Tale of Benjamin Bunny1904 · 2 editions
- The Tale of Two Bad Mice1904 · 2 editions
- The Pie and the Patty-Pan1905 · 2 editions
- The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle1905 · 2 editions
Questions about The Tale of Peter Rabbit
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Reviews of The Tale of Peter Rabbit
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Know what you are looking at
Beatrix Potter First Editions: How to Identify Peter Rabbit and the Little Books
The first edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit is Beatrix Potter's privately printed book of December 1901: 250 copies …
Read the guide →13 min readThe Most Valuable First Editions to Look For at Home
The first editions most often found in ordinary homes and worth real money are modern classics in their original dust …
Read the guide →5 min readNarnia First Editions: How to Identify The Chronicles of Narnia
The first editions of The Chronicles of Narnia are the London editions: five from Geoffrey Bles (1950 to 1954) and …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit?
The first edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was published in London by Privately printed (Strangeways) in 1901.
How many editions of The Tale of Peter Rabbit are there?
We track 2 editions of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
What should I read after The Tale of Peter Rabbit?
In order, it is followed by The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, according to Wikidata.
Can I read The Tale of Peter Rabbit for free?
Yes: the text is out of copyright in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg. Collectors still pay for the first edition, which is the physical object, not the words.
Where these facts come from
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Wikidata (wikidata.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.