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oliviab22's review against another edition
5.0
Inspires a love for history and genealogy in children. Great little story with wonderful illustrations, and a few quotes that have really stuck with me.
tessie72's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea Winnie the Pooh was based on a true story. Great book!
kazalicious's review against another edition
3.0
A good lapsit or bedtime story for kids who don't mind a longer read. Adults will appreciate the truth behind the book and the kids will learn in the end that it's more of a non-fiction read than a true picture book.
Copies of real photos were included at the end of the story, which I found to be as interesting as the story.
Copies of real photos were included at the end of the story, which I found to be as interesting as the story.
luckyliza13's review against another edition
5.0
Love. And, I have a whole new appreciation for Winnie the Pooh.
ikuo1000's review against another edition
3.0
This children's picture book tells the charming true story of how a North American black bear came to live at the London Zoo, and how A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh came to be named after this bear.
The book is written by the great-granddaughter of the bear's owner, and the story is presented as a bedtime story between her and her young son named Cole. While the premise is sweet, the storytelling lacked a certain flow... I think I found the conversational interjections by mother-and-son to be more distracting than cute. The focus on their own personal connection to the story made me feel like this story is more "theirs"; maybe I had too-high expectations, but as a Winnie-the-Pooh fan, I was hoping to feel more connected to the story, but instead I sort of felt like I was looking through a glass window.
I think what really makes the book worth reading are the illustrations by Sophie Blackall. They are soft and lovely, evoking a sense of tenderness. While the text is informative, it's really the illustrations that make the book a pleasant read.
I also really enjoyed the black-and-white photos of Winnie the bear, and her owner, Harry. Though I did find it odd that the photo collection included a black-and-white photo from 2013 of the author and her son... I guess it's a way to show how the story of Harry and Winnie live on, but it also sort of felt like another distraction from the original story.
Incidentally, when this book was recommended to me, I looked it up in the library, only to find that there were TWO non-fiction children's picture books published in 2015 about the real bear who inspired the name of Winnie-the-Pooh!? I don't know how the publishing world works, but I certainly found this discovery surprising. The other book, [b:Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh|21469062|Winnie The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh|Sally M. Walker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421837322s/21469062.jpg|40786988], I actually thought was slightly better, and is also worth a read.
The book is written by the great-granddaughter of the bear's owner, and the story is presented as a bedtime story between her and her young son named Cole. While the premise is sweet, the storytelling lacked a certain flow... I think I found the conversational interjections by mother-and-son to be more distracting than cute. The focus on their own personal connection to the story made me feel like this story is more "theirs"; maybe I had too-high expectations, but as a Winnie-the-Pooh fan, I was hoping to feel more connected to the story, but instead I sort of felt like I was looking through a glass window.
I think what really makes the book worth reading are the illustrations by Sophie Blackall. They are soft and lovely, evoking a sense of tenderness. While the text is informative, it's really the illustrations that make the book a pleasant read.
I also really enjoyed the black-and-white photos of Winnie the bear, and her owner, Harry. Though I did find it odd that the photo collection included a black-and-white photo from 2013 of the author and her son... I guess it's a way to show how the story of Harry and Winnie live on, but it also sort of felt like another distraction from the original story.
Incidentally, when this book was recommended to me, I looked it up in the library, only to find that there were TWO non-fiction children's picture books published in 2015 about the real bear who inspired the name of Winnie-the-Pooh!? I don't know how the publishing world works, but I certainly found this discovery surprising. The other book, [b:Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh|21469062|Winnie The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh|Sally M. Walker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421837322s/21469062.jpg|40786988], I actually thought was slightly better, and is also worth a read.
aprilthelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed reading the story of the solider who bought a bear cub off a trapper, and it ended up being the bear to inspire A.A. Milne. There is beautiful artwork throughout, and then pictures of the real bear and the people in the book!
alysona's review against another edition
5.0
I love hard to believe stories that turn out to be based on true stories; and one with a cute bear also - how could you not love it?
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the layers in this story as we learn about the Winnie the Pooh namesake. Sweet story with illustrations that make you want to linger on each page.
heisereads's review against another edition
5.0
The combination of text and illustrations makes a charming book. A story about the "real" Winnie-the-Pooh that I didn't know before. I also love the threads of family woven throughout, especially as the story is written by his great-granddaughter, and the primary source album at the back.
sngick's review against another edition
5.0
Very late to the party in reading this but it is so well done. Magical.