Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear

Written by Lindsay Mattick and Sophie Blackall

Narrated by Erin Moon

Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. And she was a girl! 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. Here is the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781501925238

Lindsay Mattick

LINDSAY MATTICK is the great-granddaughter of Captain Harry Colebourn. She has been sharing Winnie’s story through radio, film, book and museum exhibitions. She lives with her family in Toronto. JOSH GREENHUT is a writer and researcher. He is the author of more than fifteen children’s books, including some in the Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures series. He lives with his family in Toronto. SOPHIE BLACKALL is a bestselling, Caldecott Medal–winning artist whose books include Finding Winnie and Hello, Lighthouse. She lives with her family in Brooklyn.  

Reviews for Finding Winnie

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a really neat picture book -- I love the pacing, the illustrations, the story. It's broken nicely into 3 parts, so you can enjoy them one at a time or all at once. It's a sweet story, and a crazy one, and satisfying that it connects to the origins of Winnie the Pooh on top of being a great story in its own right. I never imagined that someone could buy a bear and bring it to the front in WWI, or that child could make friends with a bear at the zoo and be allowed into the enclosure to play with it. A different time.

[raschneid_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well THAT was very sweet, and a great story from literary history. Recommended for all ages.

[deldevries · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reach back in history through a family tree to tell the story of Christopher Robin Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, and AA Milne. Great story and excellent artwork!

[zoes_human · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charmingly illustrated children's biography about the real bear behind the creation of the beloved Winnie-the-Pooh. Suitable for ages 4 to 8.

[laytonwoman3rd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My niece spent quite a bit of time with us over the winter while she was completing her degree in early childhood education, and part of her coursework involved reading a lot of books for children. She brought this one home from the library, and was impressed with it, but I never got around to giving it my full attention. So I bought a copy, (just so it would be here when she visits with her adorable little girls, you understand). It is, as advertised, the "true story of the world's most famous bear", i.e. Winnie the Pooh. I hadn't known there was a real bear behind A. A. Milne's creation; of course I did know about the real boy, Christopher Robin, and his stuffed bear companion. This story is quite remarkable, beautifully told and illustrated, and accompanied by photos of the real bear and his owner, the author's great-grandfather. Highly recommended for everybody.
Review written Spring 2016

[kittyjay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finding Winnie begins with a little boy, Cole, asking his mother to tell him a story about a bear. She tells the story of a veterinarian named Harry who is sent to be a soldier during WWI. He buys a bear cub from a trapper at a train station and names her Winnie. Winnie becomes the mascot of the soldiers and Harry's friend as they travel. When Harry is sent to France, he must leave Winnie at the London Zoo. A little boy becomes friends with Winnie, and names his stuffed bear Winnie-the-Pooh, who is a very famous bear himself! At the end, readers find that Cole is the great-great-grandson of the vet Harry.

The full-page pictures are often bright and colorful, and a smaller black-and-white picture of the mother and Cole are on many of the pages, showing how their story is unfolding even as the larger story about Winnie progresses. The text is also interspersed with Cole interrupting his mother as she tells the story, giving the book a more interactive feeling with the story-within-the-story.

The illustrations also have beautiful watercolor renderings of landscapes: mountains framed by sunrise, a train traveling under a moon and stars, and a valley full of beautiful fall leaves. The pictures show the soldiers as they grow to like Winnie, as well as her funny antics.

Readers will adore Winnie as she frolics around tents and curls into a ball by Harry’s bedside, and feel equally sad when Harry must leave Winnie behind. When Christopher finds Winnie and befriends her, Winnie and the reader are happy once more.

The ending includes photographs of the real Harry and Winnie, Christopher Robin, and even of Lindsay and Cole. The photographs add a historical charm to the true story that will delight readers as they compare the illustrations to the photographs of the real Winnie and Harry.

[elainaberger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story is about the origin of Winnie the Pooh. I have loved of Winnie the Pooh all my life. This was an interesting way of telling the story and how it was created.

[amyghilton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a book worthy of the Caldecott Medal, for sure. The story is interesting for children and the illustrations are beautiful. Most people don't know that the bear that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh was an actual living bear at one time and a female as well, discovered by a little boy named Christopher Robin. This is her real story.

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a lovely non-fiction, two-part story that really engaged my kids and me! We loved learning more about the original Winnie.

[kmann63 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Caldecott winner! This sweet book tells the true story of the real bear that inspired the stories of Winnie the Pooh and includes real photographs in the back of Henry and his bear during this military service time. Kids will make connections to the cartoon and really enjoy learning that Winnie the Pooh was real!

[thornton37814 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This lovely book tells the story of Winnie-the-Pooh, from the time he was seen by the vet Harry Colebourn through his time as mascot for a group of Canadian soldiers to his time in the London zoo until Christopher Robin Milne befriends him and he becomes the storybook character. The illustrations are great. I loved the album in the back with pages from Harry Colebourn's diary showing where he purchased the bear, the accession record for Winnie at the zoo, and other photos of the real WInnie's life.

[aliceap-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Isn't it sad when a book comes out and people just seem to be completely unaware of 1. its existence and 2. its level of amazingness? Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick is one of those hidden gems. I've mentioned before that if a book doesn't circulate it's offered to another branch in the hope that it might do better in a different location. That's how this book landed in my hands (it was also on my TRL). As the title suggests, this is the story of the bear named Winnie that spawned the Winnie-the-Pooh series by A.A. Milne. It's the heartwarming tale of a man who befriended a baby bear and their journeys together during the tumultous times of WWI. It's also the story about how this same bear met a little boy who would eventually spur entire generations to hug their teddy bears just a little bit tighter. Additionally, the back of the book contains a really lovely surprise that I don't want to spoil for ya'll. :-) I think this would make a wonderful bedtime read-aloud. You could also encourage your child to read this book aloud to their teddy bear. (Then take lots of photos of it.) Believe it or not, this exercise will help to strengthen your child's confidence in reading aloud to others (or to themselves). As for me, I can't wait for the opportunity to read this one in a storytime. XD 9/10

[schubert_stacey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary: The author is the real life great grand-daughter of a veterinarian who rescued a black bear in WWI. He eventually ends up taking the bear to the London Zoo where the bear meets a boy named Christopher Robin. The story is told by the great grand-daughter telling it to her son.
Personal Response: I thought it was a cute story, I liked it. I had to go back and re-read to understand the family connections but once I did, it's pretty cool that it's nonfiction!
Curriculum connections: bears; history behind Winnie the Pooh

[lycomayflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable true story of a bear "adopted" by a soldier in WWII. The pictures here were the best part.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the true story of the bear that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. Winnie was a Canadian bear cub adopted by a veterinarian who served in the Canadian army during WWI. Winnie became the company's mascot. She traveled with them from Canada to England, and she found a new home in the London Zoo when the company left for the front lines. Christopher Robin Milne was a frequent visitor to the zoo, and his love for Winnie inspired his father to write a series of children's books about a bear named Winnie. The story is enchantingly told, with passages like “the train rolled right through dinner and over the sunset and around ten o'clock and into a nap and out the next day”. The story-within-a-story format gives the book a cozy feel. Children will want to curl up with their own teddy bears while they listen to this bedtime story.

[tammybb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

 A beautifully illustrated narration from mother to son about their great-grandfather's friendship with the real bear who inspired Winnie the Pooh. The book ends with real artifacts from a soldier's journey to fight in WWI and his friendship with the bear who inspired it all.

[kelseyjenkens · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was phenomenal. One reason I loved this book was because of its plot. A veterinarian, Harry Colebourn, rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie after his hometown, Winnipeg. Winnie traveled with the troops during World War I and was one of them. One day, they had to leave Winnie behind as they traveled. So, they left her at the London Zoo. That is where Winnie met Christopher Robin. As the story of Harry and Winnie was happening, you realize that their story was being told by a mother and son. By the end of the book, the reader sees that the mother is Harry's great-granddaughter. The story ends explaining the idea for Winnie the Pooh and how the name came about. Another reason why I liked this book so much was because it is nonfiction. Knowing that this is a true story made me more engaged and excited to see how the name of Winnie the Pooh was formed. The main idea of this story is to grasp readers attention and to teach them a little about history while making the story relatable too.

[yvonne.sevignykaiser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This one the 2016 Caldecott Award and I can see why. I love the illustration by Sophie Blackall and Lindsay Mattick the great grand daughter of soldier Harry Colebourn who bought the bear for $20. The bear became the company mascot even traveled by boat with the men from Canada to Europe before Harry made the decision to place Winnie in the London Zoo for his safety.

While Winnie was in the London Zoo he made a friend named Christopher Robin. It was this friendship that led to the stories we know today of Winnie the Pooh.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This year's Caldecott Medal award winning book is stellar! Harry Coleburn was a Canadian vet, hailed from Winnipeg, who while on a train heading to a position as vet for WWI calvary horses, noticed a little bear cub during one of the train's stops.Giving the owner $20, a large sum of money at that time, he brought the cub with him. When Harry arrived, with Winnie in tow, soon the men all loved delightful mascot Winnie. Before Harry was shipped to the front lines, he found a home at the London zoo for Winnie. And, this is where the wonderful books of Christopher Robin originated. Christopher Robin soon fell in love with delightful Winnie, naming his own toy bear the same.There is nothing to dislike about this book. It surely deserves any and all awards it has and will receive. This is a lovely book wherein both illustrations and text combine to make a very special book that appeals to children of all ages.I will definitely seek other books of this illustrator. Highly Recommended, for both illustrations and story line.

[mandy42990 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The picture book Finding Winnie was brought to my attention when Sophie Blackall won the 2016 Caldecott award for her illustrations (NPR). As a possessor of fond memories of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, I could not believe my eyes when I opened the pages and read that the beloved Pooh bear is inspired by a real Christopher Robin and a real bear named Winnie–and that this is not even the beginning of the story! Finding Winnie tells the true tale of a cub rescued by a veterinarian enlisted as a Soldier, and the journey they take together traveling on trains, army bases, and across the ocean, and how the cub made another friend named Christopher. I refuse to spoil more details, but I will say that there are photographs in the back to prove a tale you might otherwise find hard to believe. Written with the cuteness that books for preschoolers are aimed at, and with captivating, colorful illustrations, this story is a must read for fans of Milne, lovers of real-life tales, and pursuers of adorable characters.
Read more reviews at Book On a Crag !

[eduscapes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

FINDING WINNIE: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS BEAR by Lindsay Mattick traces the remarkable life of the bear who inspired the Winnie-the-Pooh stories.

Told as a bedtime story by a mother to her young son Cole, the picture book follows a World War I soldier and his bear cub from Winnipeg Canada to a zoo in London, England. Christopher Robin Milne, son of the famous author, befriends Winnie at the zoo and names his stuffed bear Winnie-the-Pooh. In a wonderful conclusion, we learn that young Cole is the great-great-grandchild of the soldier that befriended the bear cub. The book concludes with an album of incredible primary source documents and photographs tracing the story.

The beautiful watercolor illustrations contribute to the appeal of this charming picture book.

Librarians will find this book to be a wonderful way to introduce a new generation to Winnie-the-Pooh. Consider a display that includes this picture book, the Winnie-the-Pooh chapter books, and related stuff animals. Also, use the book to introduce the idea of primary source documents and how they can help researchers better understand history.

Published by Little Brown, an imprint of Hachettte on October 20, 2015. Review copy courtesy of the publisher.