Helen Beatrix Potter ( 28 July 1866 â `` 22 December 1943 ) was an English writer , illustrator , mycologist and conservationist . She is famous for writing children 's books with animal characters such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit . Helen Beatrix Potter ( 28 July 1866 â `` 22 December 1943 ) was an English author , illustrator , mycologist and conservationist best known for children 's books featuring anthropomorphic characters such as in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and rural lifestyle .