Summary – This story tells the origin of how Winnie the Pooh came to be. A veterinarian named Harry Colebourn bought a cub on his way to help take care of horses during World War I. They develop a lifelong friendship. Eventually, Harry realizes that in order to keep Winnie safe, he can’t take her along with him anymore and he decides to take her to the London Zoo. Winnie is visited by Christopher Robin at the zoo and eventually they too become great friends. His father, Alan Alexander Milne, wrote about the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin.

1. Bestseller’s Lists or Awards – A #1 New York Times Bestseller and Winner of the 2016 Caldecott Medal
2. Themes – Friendship, War, World War 1, Winnie the Pooh
3. Age Range – 4 to 8 Year Olds
4. Author/Illustrator – Lindsay Mattick/Sophie Blackall
5. Publisher – Little, Brown and Company
6. Year Published – 2015
7. Original Retail Price – $18.00 for Hardcover Book
8. Number of Pages – 44 pages  (includes title page and body of the book)
9. Word Count – 1,631 words total (includes only body pages). Average of 37 words per page.
10. Complexity of Story – The story is told in simple terms geared towards a younger audience. Although a large component has to do with war, the author made sure to leave out the tough realities associated with war and instead focus on the friendship between the bear and Harry.
11. P.O.V. – The story is told from the perspective of the great granddaughter of Harry Colebourn. She tells the story to her son.
12. Dialogue? – There is dialogue.
13. Rhyming? – There isn’t any rhyming.
14. What Makes it Special? – The story is based on a true story. It tells the origins of how Winnie the Pooh came to be the sweet bear everyone loves. At the end, the author includes actual pictures of the bear that Winnie the Pooh was based on as well as a picture of the little boy known as Christopher Robin.
15. What I like about this book? – I loved the idea of passing on history to our children and the importance of telling them about our ancestors (everyone has a story to tell). I loved the story overall, I never realized that Winnie the Pooh was actually based on a real living bear and that he had such an amazing and interesting history. The images are also absolutely beautiful, they add to an already beautiful story.
    

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Thank you for reading my book reviews. The purpose of these reviews is to break down and analyze bestselling and award winning books. It is crucial for writers and illustrators, that wish to be published, to do homework on what books are currently being sold and garnering awards. I hope to figure out what makes these books special and what attributes they share. I hope you will find this review helpful.

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