The book ends with a very helpful author’s note, which provides details on bear biology, Winnie’s life, and how the famous suffix, “the Pooh”, came into being. A child can easily retell Winnie’s story to any willing listener (and my two children did just that to their father after I read Winnie to them!). A fantastic introduction to nonfiction, Winnie includes just enough detail to provide a clear timeline of the bear’s fascinating life. Winnie holds its readers’ attention from start to finish. Milne, to tell him bedtime stories with Winnie as the lead character. Winnie was a welcome addition to the zoo she was so gentle that children were even allowed to ride on her back (clearly, zoos operated differently in the early 20th century)! One particular visitor to the zoo, a boy named Christopher Robin, became particularly smitten with Winnie. With a heavy heart, Harry took his dear friend to the London Zoo, where a new bear enclosure had just been built. However, once the soldiers deployed to France, Harry decided the danger of the battlefield was too great for Winnie. She even traveled overseas to England when the war escalated. Winnie quickly became a valuable member of the company, acting as a comforting presence for the military horses and soldiers alike. So began the unique and heartwarming friendship between Harry and Winnie (named after Harry’s military company’s hometown of Winnipeg, Canada). Because Harry was a veterinarian, he decided he would be the perfect person to buy the bear and care for her.

Harry saw a bear on a leash! At the other end of the leash was an elderly man who explained to Harry that he had shot the bear’s mother and wanted to sell the cub. Harry Colebourn was about to leave for a military training camp with his fellow World War I soldiers when he happened to look out his train window. The real-life inspiration behind a beloved literary character gets a touching tribute in Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. What to expect: Nonfiction, Bears, Pets, Veterinarians, World War I, Soldiers, Zoos, Friendship The Children’s Book Review | July 15, 2016 Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh

Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker