Finding Winnie
The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear (Caldecott Medal Winner)
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4.7 • 69 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
A #1 New York Times Bestseller and Winner of the Caldecott Medal about the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.
In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.
Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England...
And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin.
Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. And she was a girl!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mattick is the great-granddaughter of Capt. Harry Colebourn, the Canadian veterinarian who set all things Winnie-the-Pooh in motion: while en route to join his unit during WWI, Harry rescued an orphaned bear cub from a trapper (it cost him $20) and named her Winnipeg (Winnie for short), after his hometown. She accompanied Harry to England and became the mascot of the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade. Knowing Winnie couldn't follow him to France, Harry arranged for a new home for her at London Zoo, where a boy named Christopher Robin discovered her, and the rest is literary history. Framed as a bedtime story that Mattick tells her toddler son, Cole (who interjects questions such as "Is twenty dollars a lot?"), the book strikes a lovely, understated tone of wonder and family pride. It also suits Blackall (A Fine Dessert) to a T. While her work usually has a strong streak of fantasy, or at least ethereal otherworldliness, she proves that she's equally imaginative at chronicling straight-on reality, too. Ages 3 6.
Customer Reviews
Heartwarming
I was going to read Winnie the Pooh, but there were too many words, so I found this book on Novel Effect. It was such a coincidence that it was also about Winnie the Pooh.
Made me cry!
This book has such a sweet message. I was very touched by this true story that related to my boys and their love for Winnie the Pooh. I loved this so much I will be ordering the hard copy.
Our Son Loved This!
Our son asked me to get this book after the school librarian recommended it to the students. What a great story and I loved the illustrations. We did the read along, will read this again on our iPads and look for it in the store.