Berkeley Heights Public Library

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the Worlds Most Famous Bear

by Lindsay Mattick

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. Author's agent: Jackie Kaiser, Westwood Creative Artists. Illustrator's agent: Nancy Gallt, Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal K-Gr 3-This sweet tale of the black bear that inspired the legendary children's book character Winnie-the-Pooh will resonate with readers. In the framing story, a mother tells her son, Cole, a bedtime tale about how veterinarian Harry Colebourn, a young Canadian soldier on his way to train and fight in Europe during World War I, stumbled upon a baby black bear that he bought off a trapper at a train depot. Colebourn named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, a gentle reminder of his hometown, and took the bear with him to England. Winnie quickly became the mascot of his unit. But when the time came to ship out to France for combat, Colebourn left his beloved pet in the capable hands of the London Zoo. Later, Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, visited the London Zoo and Christopher Robin took an immediate shine to Winnie, developing an unusually strong bond with the animal and even playing with her in her enclosure. The boy imagined all sorts of adventures for Winnie, which became the basis for the now-famous stories written by Milne. Washes of muted colors convey a cozy cheeriness that imbues the book with warmth and comfort, while occasional interjections from young Cole add to the fun. Blackall's characters are rosy-cheeked and expressive, while Winnie is curious and whimsical. A perfect melding of beautiful art with soulful, imaginative writing, this lovely story, penned by Colebourn's great-great granddaughter, is ideal for sharing aloud or poring over individually. VERDICT Children everywhere will enjoy this tale for years. A must-have.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal PreS-Gr 3-The beautiful gouache and ink illustrations that earned this title the 2016 Caldecott Medal spring to life in this exceptionally well-done, heartfelt production. Delicate keyboard music sets a tender tone as narrator Katherine Kellgren introduces viewers to author Lindsay Mattick and her young son Cole. As seen in Sophie Blackall's illustrations, they're sharing a bedtime story about Cole's real-life great-grandfather Harry Colebourn. Harry was a World War I veterinarian who rescued a bear cub from a trapper at a train station. He named the bear Winnie after his hometown of Winnipeg, and she traveled with him and his regiment all over Canada and eventually across the Atlantic Ocean to England. She became the mascot of the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade, but when the time came for the men to march into battle, Harry knew it wouldn't be safe for the cub to come along. He drove her to the London Zoo, promising to always love her, even while they were apart. While staying at the zoo, Winnie met Christopher Robin Milne. The boy and the bear formed a special bond, and Christopher Robin's father, A.A. Milne, wrote about their adventures in his books. Real photographs are included at the end that depict Winnie with Harry, his fellow soldiers, and Christopher Robin. Close-ups of Harry's diary entries are featured as well. VERDICT Well-paced narration, gentle background music, strong storytelling, and expressive artwork combine seamlessly, making this perfect for a bear-themed storytime or for a World War I unit.-Anne Bozievich, Friendship Elementary School, Glen Rock, PA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list *Starred Review* Mattick's family ties to Winnie-the-Pooh form the backbone of her cozy debut. Framed as Mattick telling a bedtime story to her young son, Cole, her tale begins in 1914 in Canada, when veterinarian Harry Colebourn, her own great-grandfather, sets off to join the war in Europe. A fateful whistle-stop encounter with a gentle bear cub begins the historic friendship, when Colebourn buys the cub for 20 dollars. Though officers in Colebourn's division were initially aghast that he would bring a wild animal along, they were quickly won over by her irrepressible charm (and appetite), and the bear, named Winnipeg after their hometown, became the division's mascot. Winnie accompanied the soldiers all the way to England, where Colebourn eventually took Winnie to the London Zoo. There Christopher Robin met Winnie and the rest is literary history. Blackall's warm, beautiful gouache-and-ink illustrations capture an impressive depth of feeling, even in relatively simplified faces. The visuals not only complement the fablelike cadences of Mattick's text but also include subtle details that enrich the story the opening pages, for instance, recall a storybook forest before melting into the surroundings of Cole's bedroom, where he hears the story of Colebourn and Winnie. Little ones who love A. A. Milne's classic stories will be enchanted by this heartening account of the bear's real-life origins.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist

Horn Book A boy's mother tells him the story of his great-great-grandfather, owner of a baby bear named Winnie, and the circumstances that led to another boy, Christopher Robin Milne, befriending Winnie--inspiring that boy's father to write some children's tales. Mattick, the storytelling mother in this book, embellishes her family's history with evocative, playful language, matched by the period warmth of Blackall's carefully composed images. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal K-Gr 3-This story of the bear who inspired Winnie the Pooh is sure to find a home in the hearts of listeners worldwide. Mattick's great-grandfather, Harry Colebourn, was a veterinarian who cared for horses in the Second Canadian Infantry Brigade during World War I. While traveling east by train across Canada from his home in Winnipeg on the first leg of his journey as a soldier, Harry paid a trapper $20 for a baby bear and named her Winnie after his home province. The bear traveled as Harry's companion across the ocean to England and trained with him until it was time for Harry to head to the front line in France. It was then that Harry made the difficult decision to give Winnie a new home-the London Zoo. That is where, as Mattick so aptly says, "sometimes you have to let one story end so the next one can begin." Christopher Robin Milne, A.A. Milne's son, discovered Winnie at the zoo and became enamored with her. The rest, as they say, is history. Erin Moon's narration is lovely and winsome, honoring the compassion inherent in this piece of history. VERDICT Just as Colebourn's "heart made up his mind," listeners should follow their hearts and seek out this book, which is sure to have wide appeal. ["Children everywhere will enjoy this tale for years. A must-have": SLJ 8/15 starred review of the Little, Brown book.]-Terri Perper, Olney Elementary School, Olney, MD © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus A mother tells a true bedtime story about the bear that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh's name. Mom tells little Cole about Harry, a veterinarian in Winnipeg "about a hundred years before you were born." En route to his World War I muster, Harry buys a bear cub from a trapper and names her Winnipeg "so we'll never be far from home." Winnie travels overseas with the Canadian soldiers to training in England, but when they ship out to France for actual combat, Harry leaves her at the London Zoo. "That's the end of Harry and Winnie's story," but another section begins, about a boy named Christopher Robin Milne who plays with Winnie at the London Zoo. Christopher Robin names his stuffed bear Winnie-the-Pooh after her, and his fatherA.A. Milne, of coursetakes the name and runs with it. Mattick's prose has a storyteller's rhythm and features the occasional flourish (repeating "his heart made up his mind"); Blackall's watercolor-and-ink illustrations have a peaceful stillness that's welcome in a book that, though not about combat, concerns the trappings of war. A photo album includes snapshots of Winnie with her soldiers and with Christopher Robin. The piece has something of a split personality, and the Winnie-the-Pooh angle comes so late it seems almost an afterthought. Beautiful but bifurcated, with the two stories in one making it a challenge to determine the audience. (photo album) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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