The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies sequels are the best known and most successful of Potter's books. The author had an affinity for rabbits; she lived with them as pets and observed them closely for years. Though she once wrote that rabbits were creatures of "warm volatile temperaments" and were "shallow and extremely transparent", she invested her rabbits with a variety of characterizations consistent with the nature of the animal. All the rabbit tales were inspired in part by Joel Chandler Harris's Uncle Remus stories, which Potter began illustrating as early as 1893 in an attempt to find career direction and probably because they featured a
The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit chicanery of the protagonist would not matter so much, nor would the sometimes positively homicidal humor of the material." and concluded "This misbegotten resurrection is a terrible waste of very considerable talents. Julius Lester comes through at his irresistible best, as a compelling and frequently hilarious teller of tall tales. Every single illustration by Jerry Pinkney is fastidious, inspired and a marvel of delightful imagination. Perhaps Mr. Lester and Mr. Pinkney will soon collaborate on new material more worthy of their labors. Certainly, I hope so." The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit The Tales of Uncle