Peter Rabbit
Peter is the youngest of four sibling, three of whom (Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail) are triplets; however, unlike his trio of brothers and sisters he seems to be genetically incapable of behaving himself and is very disobedient. Peter is the most beloved of Potter's animal characters, in some ways because he was the very first, and in others because even though he is very naughty there is no spite or malice about him. He has a passion for vegetables and eats the veggies from the little patch in the garden next door, which is why he is always in trouble.
Benjamin Bunny
Benjamin Bunny is Peter Rabbit's cousin and is fairly easily led, getting into many scrapes primarily because of his cousin. In fact, most of the things he gets in trouble for started out as attempts to make something that Peter has caused by being naughty better. Benjamin is one of the few characters whom we meet as both a "child" and again as an "adult" in later books.
Tom Kitten
Tom Kitten was not only a literary favorite among Potter's readers, but also a merchandising favorite as well, spawning more themed merchandise and products than any other Potter character. Tom is a chubby kitten whose mother is very keen on manners, something that Tom does not have, does not like and does not really care to learn. He is the kind of boy whom it is impossible to keep out of dirt and trouble for more than five minutes. His lack of self control is not only seen in his behavior but in his general demeanor - he eats so much that his clothes never fit and he is always very close to popping the buttons on his suit. Tom is friendly with the Puddleduck children, whose mother, Jemima, has a Tale all of her own.
Jemima Puddle-Duck
Jemima is an incredibly popular Potter creation and is the only character whose Tale is a reworking of another popular fairy tale rather than inspired by characters Potter met in her own life. Jemima is Potter's take on Red Riding Hood although her story is not nearly so dark and bestial in nature as her inspiration's is. Jemima is one of the characters that Potter uses to show that the animals have the same kind of home life and general existence as their human counterparts, as she and her husband and children make an early appearance as tea guests in The Tale of Tom Kitten before we meet them in their own right.
Mrs Tiggy-Winkle
Another of the most popular Potter characters, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle is a hedgehog who takes in laundry and also has equal contact with human and animal villagers as she washes, starches and irons clothes and handkerchiefs galore. She is also the first of the characters to build an equal friendship with a human, in her case a little girl called Lucie who has lost her "pocket hankins" and is hoping that Mrs Tiggy-Winkle has found them. She is also the first character about whom it is suggested that her adventures were all a dream.
