Now We Are Six

By A.A. Milne

Now We Are Six is the second collection of children’s poetry written by A. A.  Milne, best known for creating the beloved children’s character Winnie the Pooh (who appears in several poems). Milne’s poetry isn’t as famous as his Pooh stories, but it is just as magical for readers young and old.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: May 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781551998213

A.A. Milne

A. A. (Alan Alexander) Milne (1882--1956) was a noted English author primarily known as a poet and playwright before he found huge success with his iconic children’s books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. Milne served in both World Wars and was the father of Christopher Robin Milne, upon whom the Pooh character Christopher Robin was based.

Reviews for Now We Are Six

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A nice little break from life, with all kinds of adventures. I do of course wish there'd been more of Winnie the Pooh, but nevertheless. Delightful.

[beammey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Again, this wasn't my favorite book in the series, but it was still very, very good and made me smile quite a lot. A great book for kids. Good imagery, good core concepts, all around fun. I would recommend this book. 4 out of 5 stars.

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

Like When We Were Very Young, this is also a terrific compilation. I love it when an adult can see through a child's eyes without losing his "adult-ness". Milne's poetry is simple and beautiful, and his humour can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh need no introduction. Quite a few of the poems in this book are about the duo. Milne accomplishes the extraordinary feat of seeing from the realistic and make-believe viewpoint at the same time (something which comes as second-nature to children, but we lose it as we grow up): therefore, Pooh is a live character to Christopher, even when he knows that he is nothing but a toy (the poem Us Two and The Friend).

There are a lot of nonsense poems about silly grownups, quite a few of them kings and emperors, but behaving like spoilt children-a child's view of himself, maybe! (Or a rather uncomfortable thought - is it so childish? Don't dictators behave like spoilt kids on a rampage - with much deadlier results than Milne's characters produce, of course.) There are poignant poems of a child's world which so incomprehensible to adults so that they shoo him away (Come Out With Me). Also, there is the delight only a child can experience, such as a race between two raindrops (Waiting At The Window). There are even profound philosophical questions which plague a young mind (Explained).

But for me, the poem which captures the quintessence of childhood in this collection is Buttercup Days, about Anne and her man(!), especially these four lines:

What has she got in that little brown head?
Wonderful thoughts which can never be said.
What has she got in that firm little fist of hers?
Somebody's thumb, and it feels like Christopher's.

Anne and Christopher, among the buttercups. Pure childhood bliss!

Five stars, all the way.

[orpgirl1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

AA Milne is best known for his character of Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends in the Hundred Acre Forest. This book of poetry by Milne, with drawings from his longtime collaborator Ernest Shephard, is a compilation of poems written from a child's perspective that only sometimes incorporates well-known Pooh characters. Many of the poems in this compilation brought a smile to my face as I enjoyed Milne's ability to capture the thoughts, creativity, and priorities of a child almost perfectly. The style of the poems doesn't follow any set poetic rule or logic, although most do use a rhyming pattern. Each poem is accompanied by distinct pen and ink drawings including many of Pooh and Christopher Robin. The poems themselves are full of English words, terms, and scenarios, and therefore more than a little bit of cultural interpretation is needed. This in no way detracts from the poems themselves, however, as each one does a marvelous job at creating imagery and a small snapshot of endearing children and their ways of looking at the world. My copy of this book was given to me years ago for a birthday by my best friend, and I truly do count it as one of my favorite books for sheer sentimental reasons alone. The greatness of the poems is simply an added bonus!

[srboone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simple, humourous poems that I enjoyed as much as an adult as I did as a child.

[merrymary_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Now we are six,And we're clever as clever.I think we'll be six nowFor ever and ever."Don't you wish we could?

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

More poetry to delight the child's mind, and the adult who reads to them as well. Many of these are fun to sing.

[karencollyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

New copies of old favourites bought for my grandchildren. They have not shown as much interest as I would have expected.

[bobbybslax · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A continuation of the first poetry collection, but slightly more entertaining and substantive.