Written by: Lindsay Mattick
Illustrated by: Sophie Blackall
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Book type: Picture book
Ages: 4-8 years
Lexile Level: AD590L
Summary
Finding Winnie opens with a young boy named Cole asking his mother to tell him a bedtime story about a bear. Cole’s mother proceeds to tell Cole the true story about a veterinarian who lived about one hundred years ago in Winnipeg; his name was Harry Colebourn. Harry left Winnipeg to travel far away to care for soldiers' horses during World War I. During his travels, Harry met a man with a bear cub on a train platform. Harry felt that there was something special about the bear, so he purchased the bear from the man and named the bear Winnie, after his home town of Winnipeg. Harry and the soldiers grew very fond of Winnie, often playing with her and giving her many good things to eat. Winnie became the mascot of the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade. Winnie even posed for pictures with the men. When it came time for the men to head to France and fight, Harry decided that Winnie should not be subjected to the dangers of war. In hopes of providing Winnie with the best life possible, Harry gave Winnie to the London Zoo. The zoo is where Winnie met Christopher Robin Milne. Christopher Robin would visit Winnie at the zoo often, and he was even permitted to play with Winnie inside her enclosure. Winnie and Christopher Robin formed a very special bond which inspired Christopher Robin’s father, Alan Alexander Milne, to write stories about Winnie and Christopher Robin’s friendship. It was in these stories that Winnie became Winnie-the-Pooh, the widely popular and beloved character we know today. In the end, readers learn that Cole’s mother, Lindsay, the mother who is telling her son the bedtime story (she is also the author), is the great granddaughter of Harry Colebourn. Cole, the young boy listening to the bedtime story, is the great-great grandson of Harry Colebourn, after whom he is named.
Commentary
This book will likely appeal to a large audience, and it will especially appeal to fans of the character, Winnie the Pooh. Children and adults alike will delight in learning about the real-life bear named Winnie and how she became the inspiration for such a beloved storybook and Disney character. The illustrations are soft with muted colors. This is a great bedtime-story-within-a-bedtime-story!
Special Features
After the story, the book features an “Album” which includes real-life photos of Harry, Winnie, Christopher Robin, etc. as well as accompanying captions. Photos also include a page from Harry’s diary from the day he found Winnie and the official Animal Record Card which shows when Winnie came to stay at the London Zoo in December of 1914.
Read Alikes
A Bear in War (2008) by Stephanie Innes
This picture book tells the true story of a teddy bear sent from a little girl to her father during World War I.
Christian, the Hugging Lion (2010) by Justin Richardson
Based on a true story, this picture book tells the story of two people who buy a lion cub at a department store, raise it in a London apartment, and then release it into the wild.
Winnie (2015) by Sally Walker
This is another picture book which tells the origins of Winnie the Pooh.
Awards Winner!
ALA Notable Children's Books - Younger Readers Category (2016)
Caldecott Medal (2016)
International Literacy Association Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards: Children's Nonfiction (2016)
Municipal Chapter of Toronto IODE Jean Throop Book Award (2015)
Nutmeg Children's Choice Book Award (Connecticut): Elementary (2018)
OLA Best Bets (2015)
Surrey Schools' Picture Book of the Year Award (British Columbia) (2017)
I appreciate the way you formatted your blog post. I would have liked to see some inside shots of the book to see its layout but the summary was extremely detailed and helped with understanding the narration.
ReplyDeleteWinnie-the-Pooh is such a classic character. I don't see him a lot while working in preschool but I hope one day he will get really big again. I wonder if time will effect this stories circulation in a library. Are many readers looking for information about this "silly old bear" or is it more for adults for grew up with him?
I for one will be looking more into this book because I adore Winnie so much!
Fantastic post!
Hi Ashley,
DeleteGood question! I tend to think that Winnie the Pooh has become timeless and will always find a place on library shelves and in readers' hearts. That being said, I may feel that way because I am a big fan. : ) Finding Winnie is a great way for parents/librarians/teachers/caregivers to introduce children to the bear who inspired the character so that they can share with them how many different Pooh stories there are to enjoy. I loved reading stories from my childhood to my daughter when she was young.
I liked the format of your post! It is easy to follow and understand. I have not read this book before but your post made me want to check it out from the library! I think the detail in your post helped to influence me in wanting to read the book.
ReplyDeleteI also liked that you included Special Features, Read Alikes, and Awards. This helped to put things into perspective for me and that maybe I should read this book. I have not read any of the read alikes that you mentioned either. I might have to pick them up while I am at the library. Thanks for the great post!
Hi Stacy,
DeleteThanks for the positive feedback! If you read any of the titles I mentioned, let me know what you think. : )