We had Piglet, Tigger, Kanga (no Roo), Eeyore, and Winnie himself. Milne in New York Public Library's Central Children's Room. To clarify, I was working alongside the original Winnie-the-Pooh toys owned by the real Christopher Robin, son of A.A. From 2006 to 2011 he was a daily delight. I worked in close proximity to the real Winnie-the-Pooh for five years.

However, the story is great and I think if a child has any interest in Winnie-the-Pooh, than she/he might like taking a whirl with this book. The illustrations are not really to my liking, but I'm picky. One of the highlights of this book are the front pages and end pages, which feature fascinating black-and-white photos of the real Winnie and the soldiers and children who loved her. Who would not be enchanted by a story of a soldier adopting an orphaned bear cub at a train station and then taking her with him around the world as he prepares for war? Good stuff. Winnie-the-Pooh is still HUGELY popular and it will blow kids' minds that he is based on a real, female bear. The book also offers a Works Cited at the end and suggests websites and books that will give you more information. She died at age 20 in 1934.Īt the end of the book, there is an Author's Note which explains things in adult language and in much more detail. Milne started constructing stories focused on and around the bear Christopher Robin called 'Winnie-the-Pooh.'Īfter that, the real Winnie became very famous. When Christopher Robin re-named his teddy after the bear, A.A. Milne brought him to the zoo to see the animals. When Winnie was 11, she meets Christopher Robin for the first time when A.A. He gave her to a British zoo where she was well-cared for and even gave children rides on her back. But when the soldiers were ordered into combat in France, Colebourn knew that he couldn't take Winnie with him on the battlefield. She stayed in England training with the soldiers for seven weeks. Then the Canadian troops were called to England and they took Winnie along with them. They'd walk her on a leash, feed her, and take pictures with her. Winnie quickly became the mascot of Colebourn's section (group of soldiers). Her mother was shot by a hunter and the old man couldn't bring himself to kill the cub. She was a black bear who Harry Colebourn, a Canadian military veterinarian, bought at a railway station for 20 dollars when she was six months old. I was fascinated to read about the real bear that Winnie-the-Pooh was based on. 'Good girl!' Harry praised when she succeeded.

Using her long claws, she pulled hidden biscuits from Harry's pockets. Winnie's favorite game was hide-and-seek-biscuits.

Winnie-the-Pooh Buggy Book by Unknown