THE CLASSIC TALE OF PETER RABBIT

The reverent title encapsulates the spirit of this edition, which includes the complete texts of the books about Jeremy Fisher, Benjamin Bunny, Two Bad Mice and the Flopsy Bunnies as well as Peter. The large (10"" x 13"") pages well accommodate Santore's generously-sized illustrations and the text's extra-large type; the pages admittedly would be more usable in picture-book hours than the tiny originals. The illustrations are closely related to Potter's: much larger, executed in more intense colors, more firmly outlined, but painted as if by a different observer at the same scene. They're competent, but lack the beautifully perceived representations of ourselves-in-fur of Potter's work. The long-lashed, coy bunny eyes are inexcusable. Least successful are the enormous mice, six times life-size. Even with the best intentions, this was not a project worth undertaking. Children deserve no less than Warne's original editions, in which the author's consummate skill as an illustrator perfectly complements her splendidly economical, dramatic texts.