Beatrix Potter - a Tale of Commodification: Examining the Place of 'Classics' in the Primary Classroom

This article examines the reasons behind the long‐term appeal of Beatrix Potter's Tales, whilst focusing particularly on the phenomenon of commodification. This term will be used to describe the transition of literary characters from the page to commercial merchandise. The place of such classic texts, both in the primary classroom and in our wider society, is considered in light of Potter's stable popularity, the qualities her texts offer young readers and the ways the texts have lent themselves to careful commodification ‐ a process started by Beatrix Potter herself.