During World War I, Captain Harry Colebourn, a Canadian veterinarian on his way to serve with cavalry units in Europe, rescued a bear cub in White River, Ontario. He named the bear Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war. Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter Lindsay Mattick recounts their incredible journey, from a northern Canadian town to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England-- and finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made a new friend: a boy named Christopher Robin. Gentle yet haunting illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Sophie Blackall bring the wartime era to life, and are complemented by photographs and ephemera from the Colebourn family archives.
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Publisher:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada : HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, ©2015.
Edition:
First Canadian edition.
ISBN:
9781443429184
Characteristics:
1 volume (unpaged) :,colour illustrations ;,28 cm.
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sanamg
Oct 25, 2017
"There is something you must always remember," Harry said. "it's the most important thing, really. Even if we're apart, I'll always love you. You'll always be my bear."
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yellow_lion_1089
Aug 21, 2017
yellow_lion_1089 thinks this title is suitable for 8 years and under
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Add a Commentfantastic story based on real events, written at a higher level, great for older kids.
So many of us have loved the stories about Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood ... but how many of us have been aware of how these stories started in the first place?
In this wonderful picture book we learn about the Canadian vet, Harry Coleman, who, on his way to Europe to attend to the horses being used in the First World War, purchased a bear cub in northern Ontario.
The cub was given the name "Winnie" and Lindsay Mattick's story goes on to explain how the little bear ended up in the London Zoo, where a little boy named Christopher Robin Milne used to visit her .....
The family connection between the author and the Canadian vet, revealed at the end of the story, contributes to this very touching story.
Delightful story. Loved the photos in the back of the real life Captain Colebourn, Winnipeg and "Christopher Robin".
This book is worthy of all the hype and a deserved high note for Sophie Blackall after the somewhat problematic A Fine Dessert. This could be a great story to introduce kids to the classic, non-Disney-fied Winnie the Pooh stories. Adults will likely find this a more emotional read than kids will (because of the warm fuzzy factor - no need to brace yourself for bad things to happen to Winnie) but this is a perfect quiet bedtime story for all.
One of the best books I have read on the story of how Winnie -the - Pooh came to be .
But then it is written by the Great -Granddaughter of Captain Harry Colebourn , the man who bought the little bear for $20 at a train station before being shipped out for duty as a veterinarian during WW1 This is the remarkable true story of the bear that inspired Winnie - the -Pooh . Very enjoyable .
I love stories when a family member discovers something special about a relative and shares it with the world. "Finding Winnie" is not only well written, but also well researched. I love the photos at the end. I wouldn't have believed they would let a child in a cage with a bear unless I had seen the actual photo of Christopher Robin with the real-bear Winnie!
Winnie the Pooh was a childhood favorite in my household and so I was very intrigued by this book and it did not disappoint. The illustrations were adorable, the story was sweet, and it made me want to buy the book for my family. I highly recommend this one!
Amazing and very interesting story. Wonderful illustrations and photographs.
Heard Ms. Mattick interviewed on CBC radio one - Winnie was owned by her great-grandfather in W.W. I.