Heads up, Peter Rabbit fans. A new Beatrix Potter story, "The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots," has been found after 100 years. According to The Guardian, publisher Jo Hanks discovered the unpublished story "after she found a reference to it in an out-of-print Potter biography." Now, the titular Kitty-in-Boots is set to have her publishing debut in September 2016.
Quentin Blake has signed on to illustrate "The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots." Readers will recognize Blake as the artist who brings Roald Dahl's stories to life. Most of Potter's work features her own drawings, but "the First World War, her marriage and illness" stalled development of her story, and Potter only completed one illustration for the tale.
"The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots" may center on a new Potter character, but the eponymous Kitty — aka. Miss Catherine St Quentin — is joined by an all-star cast. Peter Rabbit, Mr Tod, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, and Tabitha Twitchit all appear.
Although the new Beatrix Potter story will not be on store shelves in time to celebrate the author's 150th birthday on July 28, Kitty-in-Boots' debut is auspicious, nevertheless. I mean, 100 years after it was written, 150 years after its author was born, and decades after its mention was nearly lost to time... This is kind of a big deal, y'all.
You can read an excerpt from "The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots" at The Guardian. The new Beatrix Potter story will be published by Potter's original publisher, Frederick Warne & Co., in September.
