Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear (Picture Book)

 

1.   

(Photo: Goodreads.com)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

      Mattick, Lindsay. 2015. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear. Ill. By Sophie Blackall. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-32490-8

2.       PLOT SUMMARY

In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. 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. Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. And she was a girl!

3.       CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Mattick’s true tale of how Winnie-the-Pooh came to be, is a work of nonfiction that blends storytelling and fact. Children reading or listening to the story will feel as though they are a part of a nighttime routine, since it begins with a mother telling a story to her son before he drifts to sleep. The reader ultimately gets three stories rolled into one 10X10 inch book. The narratives are of a mother sharing family history, of a bear being bought and raised, and of a young boy engaging in play with a bear resulting in a children’s book favorite.

The illustrations created by Sophie Blackall, have washes of muted colors that convey a sense of warmth and comfort through the smiling faces of the characters. There are mini black and white scenes that let the reader know when the young boy Cole will be interjecting.  The bear in question has an angelic façade that never wavers with her age.

The pictures provided at the end of the book give the reader a chance to feel as though they knew Winnie and Harry Colebourn. Where they begin there is a page that says “Album” with the same cover of the pictures the mom is showing to the young boy in the story, letting the audience have insight into what he is looking at. The photographs show the tale in real life images of Harry, Winnie, and Mattick.

 

4.       REVIEWS/ AWARDS

                        ·       Caldecott Medal- Winner 2016

·       Charlotte Zolotow Award- Honor 2016

·       Junior Library Guild Selections- Nonfiction 2016

·       ALSC Notable Children’s Books- Commended 2016

·       “The sum total is as captivating as it is informative, transforming a personal family story into something universally resonant.” — The Horn Book

·       “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.” — School Library Journal 

5.       CONNECTIONS

*A great read for anyone that likes Winnie-the-Pooh.

*For students reluctant to read nonfiction because the story reads like fiction but is factual.

*This book could be used to teach multiple plots in one story because while the author is telling the story of how Winnie came to be Winnie-the-Pooh, she is also telling a story to her son who speaks and adds questions to the book.

*Readers might want to read the fictional book after reading this one:

Milne, A.A. 1926. Winnie-the-Pooh. ISBN: 0525444432