The true story of the real bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh

A #1 New York Times Bestseller and Winner of the Caldecott Medal about the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. 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!

"Once upon a time an anonymous teddy bear set off, from a factory in a north London suburb with a van-load of similar bears and other toys. His spectacular journey was to take him into the hearts of people of all ages, around the world and that is where we will join him first-in Acton where it all began." -Shirley Harrison, from the introduction The story truly does begin in Acton, England, at the Farnell toy factory where the hand-made mohair bear was born. This biography traces the steps of the actual stuffed bear from his creation to his final resting place in the Children's Center of the New York Public Library. Winnie-the-Pooh was brought to life as a loveable playmate flowing from the vivid imagination of Christopher Robin and introduced to the world by his father, A. A. Milne. Shirley Harrison uses original documents, photographs, and the diaries of the late Elliot Graham, caretaker to the bear for more than forty years, to give a glimpse into the hidden world of Winnie-the-Pooh and those whose lives he changed forever. Well-researched details flesh out the myths surrounding Winnie-the-Pooh's name, his journey to American, and his brief return to England. Filled with details of the real Christopher Robin, his mother, father, and the impact the stories had on their lives and illustrated with photographs of the people and places that brought the bear to life, this book chronicles the origins of one of the best-loved children's series in the world and focuses on the stuffed toy that started it all.

Ten adventures of Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, Owl, and other friends of Christopher Robin.

Everyone has heard of Winnie-the-Pooh, but not everyone knows about the real Canadian bear who lent him her name. This is a wonderful tale of courage and friendship, for fans of Michael Morpurgo. Come on a heart-warming adventure, inspired by the journey undertaken by an extraordinary bear called Winnie during World War One. From her early days with her mama in the Canadian forest, to her travels with the Veterinary Corps across the country and overseas, Winnie has a remarkable wartime story to tell. And when she meets a little boy called Christopher Robin Milne in London Zoo, he loves her so much that he names his teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh in her honour. Sophie Blackall's wonderful black and white artwork brings Winnie to life and will capture young readers' imaginations. The author, Lindsay Mattick, is the great grand-daughter of Captain Harry Colebourn - who originally rescued Winnie as a cub - and the story contains entries from his real wartime diaries from WW1. The book also includes a selection of artefacts from the Colebourn Family Archives. The result is a one-of-a-kind exploration into the realities of war, the meaning of courage, and the power of friendship, all told through the historic adventures of one astonishing bear.

The story of Winnie, the real Canadian bear that captured the heart of Christopher, son of A.A. Milne, is told against the backdrop of the First World War.

Winnie the Bear is the biography of a Canadian black bear adopted by Lieutenant Harry Colebourn and named after the city of Winnipeg. A kind veterinarian who was en route overseas at the beginning of World War I, Colebourn nurtured the young cub at training camps in Valcartier, Quebec, and on the Salisbury Plain. Appleby takes us on Winnie and Harry's journey and through the story of her own research, which is all the more fascinating for her family's connection to Harry Colebourn. Appleby's insights into the remarkable chain of events in Winnie the Bear's life reveal the bear's truly inspirational role in the creation of A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books.