The delightful rabbity world of Peter Rabbit is shown in a darker hue in Emma Thompson’s witty new story. Peter Rabbit and his cousin Benjamin are running errands to help their mothers to get ready for the great Christmas feast. When they meet William, the proud turkey, he scoffs at the trivial chores which mark their contribution to Christmas. He is to play a much more important role….When Peter and Benjamin realise exactly what that role is they come up with a cunning plan to save their farmyard friend!
Peter Rabbit and his cousin Benjamin Bunny have a new friend, William the Turkey. The trio is excited for Christmas--until they realize that William is meant to be Mr. McGregor's Christmas supper! Just in time, Peter and Benjamin hide William, and the three enjoy a lovely Christmas dinner of pickled radishes and barley cake at the Rabbit family burrow.
This story is inspired by a real turkey named William that Emma Thompson met on Beatrix Potter's farm in the Lake District.
Emma Thompson is an Oscar-winning screenwriter and actress and has starred in a range of films from Love Actually to Harry Potter, in which she plays the part of Sybill Trelawney. Emma Thompson won an Oscar in 1996 for the Best Adapted Screenplay for her adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, a film in which she also played the Oscar-nominated lead role opposite Hugh Grant.
Nanny McPhee: The Big Bang, published by Bloomsbury in March 2010, was Emma Thompson’s first novel for children. A wonderfully witty tale about the indomitable nanny of magical means which was also released as a film in which Emma played the title role.
Emma has also written two stories about Peter Rabbit - the first published in 2012, The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit and in 2013 The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit. Emma says.... I've always loved Beatrix Potter, as a child and then as a mother and all the years in-between as well. When Mr Rabbit invited me to write a further tale, I was more honoured than I can say. I hope I don't let him or his extraordinary creator down.