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We connect families and children to nature, wonder, and the magic of being through beautiful books

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear

October 20, 2020 by Valarie Leave a Comment

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear  is a wonderful children’s picture book by Lindsay Mattock and illustrated brilliantly by Sophie Blackall is not only charming in every way but completely captivating.

 

Before it won the Caldecott Medal 2016, I had seen it sitting on a variety of bookstore shelves but hadn’t picked it up yet. Honestly, I’m glad I waited because this book was like receiving the best gift. This is the kind of children’s picture book that you’ll always remember when you read it first, who you read it to or with, and that you always want to have this book near.

Did you know that Winnie-the-Pooh was fashioned after a real-life bear and that Christopher Robin really existed?

Before the Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. And she was a girl!

In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear on the train platform. 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.

This book is a heartfelt story by Harry Colebourn’s great grand-daughter Lindsay Mattick. Even making it more engaging are the beautiful illustrations by Sophie Blackall. I love her use of color and her very inventive way of telling the story through art. One of my favorite pages is when the train is moving from Winnipeg across Canada. She captured this movement in a very unique way. Sophie also illustrated the Ivy and Bean series.

There are also some very unique storytelling features in this book such as the conversation between Lindsay and her son Cole. It captures perfectly what reading with children is like and brings an authentic air to the story. We felt as if we were right on that bed with Lindsay and Cole being told Harry Colebourn’s story.

 

Once Winnie was in Europe with Harry it became apparent that there was a war going on and that the bear had to be placed somewhere safe. There really wasn’t a safer place than the London zoo. Winnie was so tame that when A.A. Milne took his son Christopher to the zoo, Christopher at one point was allowed to go into the enclosure with the bear and play with him. Christopher had a stuffed bear at home who he didn’t know what to name. Because of his friendship with Winnie, he decided to name his stuffed friend Winnie-the-Pooh. His father wrote about all of their exploits both the stuffed version and the zoo version of Winnie in his classic Winnie the Pooh book.

The Real Winnie-the-Pooh

I’ve always loved that Winnie-the-Pooh was a real bear. I’ve never looked into it further and have very well worn, read, and loved copies of all the Winnie-the-Pooh series. Let’s look a little further into the history of this most famous bear.

In collaboration with Harry Colebourn’s family, Ryerson University Library and Archives has a wonderful online exhibit called The Real Winnie, which includes some of Harry Colebourn’s diary pages, maps, photographs, essays, and his vet kit.

Two pictures, both of Winnie the bear as a cub. The second also includes Harry Coulbourn.

You can also find great information about the *real* Winnie the Pooh on History.com


**Don’t Forget**

So for the 2020 holiday season, everyone at Audrey Press would like to offer a gift-buying perk (and stress buster!) in the form of a very unique 10 BOOK BUNDLE plus a special COUPON CODE.

During the month of October, use Coupon Code SAVE20 at checkout to save 20% on orders over $50!

Holiday Bundle 10 Book Deal

This special Holiday 10-book Bundle Deal includes one paperback or hardcover copy of the following books:

  • The Ascension Trilogy-Ascension, Clandestine, and Reclamation by Hannah Rials (YA, Urban Fantasy)
  • Two-Year Waitlist: An Entrepreneurial Guide for Music Teachers by Noreen Wenjen (Non-fiction Business)
  • Pilgrimage: A Modern Seeker’s Guide by Evans Bowen (Spirituality and Travel)
  • HOW TO COACH GIRLS by Mia Wenjen and Alison Foley (Parenting and Coaching)
  • The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide by Mia Wenjen and Alison Foley (Parenting and Coaching)
  • Sissy Goes Tiny by Rebecca Flansburg and BA Norrgard (Hardcover Children’s Picture Book)
  • Dragons Are Real by Valarie Budayr (Children’s Picture Book)
  • A Year in the Secret Garden by Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters (Middle Reader Activity and Screen-Free Learning)

So this holiday season, give your family the gift that they can open again and again…BOOKS!

***FREE SHIPPING in the USA-Be sure and order before December 15, 2020, to ensure arrival before Christmas.***Again, use SAVE20 at checkout to save 20% on orders over $50!

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  • Brooks BenjaminBrooks Benjaminauthor of My Seventh Grade Life in Tights

    Gorgeous descriptions of New Orleans paired with a brilliant take on vampire lore, all written with a truly authentic teen voice add up to one thing: Hannah Rials’s writing is breathing new life into the paranormal YA world.

  • Mia WenjenMia Wenjenwww.pragmaticmom.com

    I always suspected that certain picture books give dragons an undeserved bad rap. This delightful picture book clears up dangerous and misleading misconceptions about dragons. Dragons, as it turns out, are gentle creatives that love sweets, hoard books, and, most certainly, are real! I'm getting the word out to my kids!

  • Renee CormierRenee CormierMother-Daughter Book Club

    Visually, this book is GORGEOUS! A Year in the Secret Garden is a treasure trove of activities, crafts, games, recipes and information all related to the classic children’s book, The Secret Garden, bringing to life this wonderful book to a new generation of readers. I cannot recommend this beautifully illustrated and detailed, information-packed book highly enough to parents, homeschoolers, teachers, and librarians. Ages 5+

  • Linda DawkinsLinda DawkinsNatural Suburbia

    What a beautiful book! The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook has given me much food for thought by reading it. I love it and even though we have already been homeschooling for almost 8 years now with children in highschool, it has been wonderfully refreshing and has encouraged me to relook at how we go about our homeschooling journey.

  • Bella AndreBella AndreNew York Times & USA Today bestselling author
    The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the most beautiful children’s book I’ve Ever Seen!
  • Eileen StraitonEileen StraitonLittle Acorn Learning

    The Fox Diaries is a beautiful collection that brings nature and beauty to life with each turning of the page.  I highly recommend this lovely book for adults and children of all ages.

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Thank you for visiting our site. Valarie
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