MAKING FRIENDS WITH POOH

Some of the most enchanting stories and poems I've ever read to my children were written by A.A. Milne, for his son Christopher Robin. All the joys and innocence of childhood are captured in these stories. Most kids have been exposed to Winnie-the-Pooh stories through the Disney movies and shows, but the books are what brought him to life for us...


"Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. Anyhow, here he is at the bottom, and ready to be introduced to you. Winnie-the-Pooh."

The world of the Hundred Acre Woods and Pooh's and Christopher Robin's friends - Owl, Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, and Kanga and Roo - are only part of Milne's genius. We also loved the lilting verse and humor in WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG and NOW WE ARE SIX. Because the books were written in the 1920's, the language and concepts are old-fashioned; and that makes the poems that much more engaging!

A.A. Milne gets perfectly the world of children, and because it's from a father's perspective, you'll find youself smiling and blinking back tears at the same time. Here's one of our favorite's:

VESPERS
Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little gold head.
Hush ! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

God bless Mummy. I know that's right.
Wasn't it fun in the bath tonight?
The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot.
Oh! God bless Daddy - I quite forgot.

If I open my fingers a little bit more,
I can see Nanny's dressing-gown on the door.
It's a beautiful blue, but it hasn't a hood.
Oh! God bess Nanny and make her good.

Mine has a hood, and I lie in bed,
And pull the hood right over my head,
And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small,
And nobody knows that I'm there at all.

Oh! Thank you, God, for a lovely day.
And what was the other I had to say?
I said "Bless Daddy", so what can it be?
Oh! Now I remember. God bless Me.

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little gold head.
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares?
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

-from WHEN WE WERE YOUNG by A. A. Milne, Illustrations by E. G. Shepard

POOH LIBRARY ORIGINAL 4-VOLUME SET