In this absolutely delightful picture-book from British children's author Jane Johnson, the story of Beatrix Potter's friendship with the Moore family - and particularly with young Noel, the eldest of the Moore children - and the role this friendship played in the creation of her beloved classic, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, is set out in an immensely engaging way. A frequent visitor to the household, where she entertained the children with her tales, and with her pet rabbit and mice, Potter originally included the Peter Rabbit story in a letter sent to Noel, when he was convalescing from a long illness. It was only later that it was published to such acclaim...

Beautifully laid out, with wide white borders around the attractive artwork, and simply told, My Dear Noel is a book that will have immense appeal, both for the young reader who loves Beatrix Potter's work, and wants to learn more about it, and for the child who is unfamiliar with it, but enjoys family stories set in other eras. An engaging tale that manages to be informative without being didactic, it certainly deserves to be better known than it is! I'm at a loss to understand the paucity of online reviews for it, but in any case, it is one I recommend highly, to all young Beatrix Potter fans, and to anyone who just enjoys a well-told story. ( )