Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh

Gr 1-2--Readers will be captivated by this picture book account of the bear who inspired the "Winnie-the-Pooh" series. Walker tells the story of Harry Colebourn, a World War I soldier who came upon a man selling a baby bear at a train station (he had shot the cub's mother) and decided to adopt the animal. A veterinarian, Colebourn quickly became attached to the little bear he named Winnie (short for Winnipeg, Manitoba, Colebourn's company's hometown), who accompanied the soldier to a training camp in Quebec and became a favorite of the entire regiment. Winnie even went with the company to England when more soldiers were needed across the Atlantic. When Colebourn was sent into battle, he took Winnie to the London Zoo, where she was so gentle and tame that zookeepers sometimes let children ride on her back. There, Milne's young son, Christopher Robin, met her and fell in love, motivating Milne to pen the "Winnie-the-Pooh" books. Sweet, realistic illustrations, rendered in watercolor with pen and ink, lend the work an old-fashioned air, while a simple but gentle narrative provides readers with a sense of the emotional connection between Winnie and Colebourn. Back matter offers brief material on Colebourn, Winnie, black bears in general, and Milne's writings, as well as photographs of Winnie and Christopher Robin. Children will enjoy this interesting insight into the real story behind a beloved bear they already know so well.--April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL

Walker (Freedom Song) provides a concise, affecting account of the story behind the bear that sparked the creation of Winnie-the-Pooh. The heart of the story is the relationship between Winnie (short for Winnipeg) and Harry Colebourn, a WWII Canadian Veterinary Corps soldier who impulsively bought the young orphaned bear at an Ontario train station. Making a memorable debut, Voss highlights Winnie's playful personality, as well as the close bond between her and Colebourn (an especially sweet sequence shows Winnie digging through the soldier's uniform as they play her favorite game, "hide-and-seek biscuits"). Subtle sepia tones give the nostalgic pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations the feel of period photographs (actual period photos are also included). When Colebourn ships out to care for wounded horses in France, he finds her a new home at the London Zoo. This bittersweet separation has a gratifying resolution: Winnie easily adjusts to life among the other bears and makes friends with young zoo visitors--including the son of A.A. Milne, whose books made Winnie a celebrity in her lifetime. Ages 4-8. Illustrator's agent: Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management. (Jan.)

* "Riveting." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Why haven't children heard this story before?" —The New York Times Book Review

"[Walker's] consummate gifts as a storyteller . . . breathe life into the tale." —The Horn Book

"This tragic but well-told story belongs in most collections." —School Library Journal